As the rest of society gets even more hi-tech, we suppose it is inevitable that even religion catches up. For example at one point WeChat allowed users to pay for prayers, so we guess it isn’t surprising that the Church of England is now accept more modern payment methods like Apple Pay and Google Pay when it comes to receiving donations.According to a report from the BBC, it appears that the Church of England has been conducting trials where they are accepting Apple Pay and Google Pay for donations. They believe that this should appeal to younger churchgoers who might not carry as much cash around due to the rise in contactless payment systems such as the ones mentioned above.
However while it might be an interesting idea, there are some who believe this could slow down the donation collection process. This makes sense because it is a lot faster to drop notes or coins inside a box, versus taking your phone or credit card out, launching the app, and then tapping the terminal. Plus there is also the issue of service charge.
However despite some potential disadvantages, Reverend Margaret Cave from Christchurch in East Greenwich seems to be pretty chuffed with the system. “It’s really great. I’m going to keep it. It makes us feel like we’re part of the 21st century, and we can take payments in a safe and secure way. As a vicar, I also know we don’t have cash floating around.”
Filed in . Read more about Apple Pay and Google Play.