Modern technology gives us many things.

Australians are donating to charities with their smartphones

paypal2Australians are generous when giving to charities but collection buckets are becoming a thing of the past as we turn to our smartphones to donate.

New data released by PayPal has shown mobile donations through the popular online payment service has increased by 283 per cent in the past year compared with a 26 per cent increase online.

Australians donated more than $6 million dollars to charities through PayPal in the last year.

One in four transactions using PayPal is made on a mobile device so Australians are finding it easier to donate to charities on the spot using their smartphone.

In fact, the number of donations made from mobile devices has quadrupled in the last 12 months with 75 per cent of these donations going to local charities.

“The ease and convenience of mobile devices and Australia’s high smartphone penetration has enabled charities to become an unexpected beneficiary of the changing spending patterns of Australians,” Adrian Christie, PayPal spokesperson said.

“Over the last year, we’ve seen our five million active Australian users increasingly turn to their mobiles to cater for their everyday needs, from paying bills, to making online bookings.

“Now, we’re seeing savvy, connected consumers also using mobile to support the vital work being carried out by the not-for-profit sector.”

PayPal has also announced its support for the Gold Telethon which will be held on June 10 to raise money for the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.

PayPal will make it easier for people to donate and will provide easy links o make it easy to donate from the website or the mobile site.

“We’re excited to be working with PayPal to re-engineer our digital platforms, making it quick and easy to support the fantastic work done by Sydney Children’s Hospital and tap into the trend of mobile giving,” said Adam Check, CEO for Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“This year we hope to raise more than $3.6 million and we see mobile donations playing a key role in helping exceed our target and brighten the lives of sick and injured children.”

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