Giving made easy for Wish Day 2018 as donors able to give with their contactless cards

In partnership with Visa and Elavon, Make-A-Wish Ireland will be introducing contactless payments for donors on its sixth annual Wish Day taking place tomorrow (9^th March 2018). The news comes as Visa reveals that contactless payments continue to surge in popularity in Ireland, with Irish consumers now making more than five million contactless payments using Visa cards every week.

Contactless usage by Irish cardholders has grown since the end of 2016, with weekly transactions jumping from three million Visa contactless payments each week to over five million payments at the end of 2017.

In line with the growing popularity of contactless payments, throughout Wish Day 2018contactless card holders in Ireland will be able to support the Make-A-Wish Ireland foundation by simply tapping their card on the contactless devices to make a secure donation. The devices will offer the public a quick and easy way to donate, even when they have no change to give. Visa is providing the contactless devices enabled by Elavon, which will allow Make-A-Wish Ireland to accept card payments.

The contactless devices will be available to use at several Dublin locations, with donors being able to make a payment to Make-A-Wish Ireland using their contactless card or mobile device. All money raised will go towards funding the foundation’s aim of granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Commenting on the announcement, Philip Konopik, Country Manager, Ireland, Visa, said: “Visa is always looking for new and innovative ways to pay and the introduction of contactless donation devices will give people a greater choice about how they donate on this year’s Wish Day. With more than five million contactless transactions taking place on Irish Visa cards each week, charities need to give people the widest range of options when it comes to donating to avoid missing out on thousands of euros worth of donations each year. We are delighted to support Make-A-Wish Ireland on Wish Day by enabling donations with a Visa contactless card or smartphone which we are hopeful will help them boost the amount of money they raise.”

‘The latest contactless statistics highlight that Irish cardholders are increasingly comfortable using their contactless cards over cash,’added Eric Horgan, Elavon Country Manager. ’We are delighted to support Make-A-Wish Ireland by providing contactless donation services. The terminals allow the public to make donations to Make-A-Wish with their card or mobile device, quickly and easily, with no need for cash.”

Susan O’Dwyer, Chief Executive Officer, Make-A-Wish Ireland, added:“Since 1992, we have granted the wishes of more than 2,200 children with life-threatening illnesses in Ireland, including 221 wishes granted in 2017 alone. To keep granting these wishes, we are reliant on the generosity of our supporters, we receive no government funding. We are delighted to partner with Visa and Elavon this Wish Day to introduce contactless payments, making it even easier for the public to show their support and help us continue to grant magical wishes to seriously ill children in Ireland.”