How to Facilitate Contactless Donation With QR Codes

As we all may have been aware, the COVID-19 pandemic has made everyone to limit physical contact everywhere we may be.

With that being said, even the most normal day-to-day activities we do have been affected.

Necessary changes need to be in place to keep everyone safe and to minimize the spread of the virus.

With all that is happening, even how to make donations is needed to cope.

Before, donations were done in various ways.

People could put cash in donation boxes, make money transfer from banks, and so much more.

But using QR codes for donations was not something anybody thought of until now. With QR code technology, it's easy to scan to donate.

So, it begs the question. Why QR codes? And will they stay even after the pandemic?

Donation Point-Go: A real-life example of raising funds in a contactless way using QR codes

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To engage with donors and raise funds for people who were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne-based payments technology company Quest Payment Systems, Australia’s leading provider of contactless solutions and the developer of Donation Point Go, made it possible to help charities to raise funds in a flexible way.

Donation Point Go uses a single QR code for fundraising facilitation. This way, people can easily scan to donate using their smartphone.

The code can be placed anywhere and can be used in both digital and traditional print marketing activities.

It can be used in direct mail, flyers, printed on signage, badges, or T-shirts, displayed on a charity’s website or that of its sponsors, or distributed as part of an email marketing campaign.

How to use a QR code for a contactless donation

1) QR code that links to a Paypal Account

You create a URL QR code for your PayPal.Me link that will allow your customers to pay you via scanning the QR code.

People who want to donate can follow the link, enter any amount, and that’s it.

The money’s usually in your PayPal account in seconds.

2) QR Code that links to a merchant’s account

A merchant QR code is a code generated by a merchant for the purposes of processing payments or sales. 

By default, QR codes must be generated for use with a specific payment app.

A code generated by Venmo can’t be used to make payments in Cash App, for example.

3) A QR code links to your giving page

If you have a webpage where donors can donate instantly, you can simply copy-paste the URL of your web page and generate a QR code.

Furthermore, a QR code that links to a web page gives your donor additional information about your charity or organization.

Benefits of QR codes for contactless donations

QR codes were slowly making a comeback, but the pandemic made sure to solidify their place in modern society.

Mainly because it brings various benefits befitting the situation.

1. Safer

During a time when the enemy is invisible, it is always better to be cautious.

Assume that everybody has the virus, and keep your distance.

You never know; even the people who manage donation drives are carriers.

These are the same individuals who go out of their way to meet different people to keep their charity program running.

However, COVID-19 is not the only safety concern.

Even without the pandemic, there are a lot of things that can be transmitted through contact, from bacteria to trace amounts of hazardous chemicals.

2. Faster

Any other forms of donations, from giving actual cash to bank transfers, all take up some of your time.

While it can only be a few minutes, it can hold up a line when a lot of people want to make the same donation.

Also, it can be enough of a hassle to keep someone from donating.

But by using a reliable QR code generator, users can create free QR codes for nonprofit organizations to use for donations.

QR code scanning, on the other hand, is completely fast. Open your phone, scan the QR code, and you are finished.

Multiple people can do it all at once and even on the go.

3. QR codes for contactless donations are flexible

You have the freedom to choose any amount you please.

As opposed to giving actual cash, in which you are limited to the amount of money and the type of bills you have.

How many times were you stopped from making a donation because you only had large bills?

4. Secure

Donation QR codes are completely secure.

When you scan it, you are sure to be brought to one destination only.

When your recipient is guaranteed to be the donation agency, you have peace of mind that your money is reaching the right people it is intended to help.

5. Donate QR code ensures a wider audience reach

A QR code for fundraising can be placed anywhere, and it will serve the same function.

You can share the image through social media or your friends, and the person who scans it is still brought to the same donation program.

Because it is easy to share a QR code, it is possible to spread it through different mediums.

It results in more people having the opportunity to make a donation.

How to scan a QR code to donate

QR codes just recently made their mark in society, so it’s no wonder that people can easily get flustered by the sight of them.

They either don’t know how to use them or are worried that it is going to be complicated.

However, it can’t actually get any easier.

The steps to make a contactless donation with QR codes:

• Open the camera app of your phone. If it doesn’t have a built-in QR code reader, download a third-party application.
• Point the camera on the QR code. It will immediately identify the image no matter how near or far you are in just a second.
• You will be then directed to the donation page for you to set the amount and confirm the transaction.

These three steps are what is needed in making a QR code contactless donation. It is as simple as scanning and clicking. You are done in less than a minute.

Creating a QR code for contactless donations

If you are on the other end of the transaction, making a QR code is your concern.

Being a donation agency doesn’t necessarily mean you get handed a QR code.

You still have to make your own.

However, the great thing is how easy it is to scan is going to be as easy as how to make one.

So, how do you make a QR code for contactless donations? It is as simple as four steps.

• Go to QR TIGER QR code generator online

•  Copy the URL of the donation site and then paste it inside the URL box of your QR code generator.

• Generate your QR code, followed by applying the necessary customizations you see fit.

• Test your QR code before you download it. You don’t want it to have any errors after you deploy or print it

What are the limitations to what you can link to?

When you are creating a QR code, you need a destination link. It is the URL where a scanner is brought upon scanning the image.

If you are wondering what links you are able to use, the sky’s the limit. As long as it is a functional URL, you can use that in your QR code generator.

Technically, there are no links that you cannot use. Other than ones that do not function. So, you can use the URL of your PayPal account where people can send their donations.

The link to a merchant’s account, the website page of a donation agency, or even a bank account. When using QR codes, you get to have a wide range of flexibility and options.

You need not worry whether or not your preferred method of donation is compatible with QR code technology.

Static vs dynamic QR code for donation

At this point, you have been greeted by the words static and dynamic. They are the two types of QR codes you can use for your donation.

Static QR code for donations directs scanners to a permanent landing page.

You print it, and you share it, but you are not able to do anything else with it.

With dynamic QR codes, you can update the URL/landing page of your QR code for donation.

What that means is that even if you have already created it, you can still change the destination where a scanner will be brought.

The benefit to this is that even when you change your donation pages or accounts, the same QR codes that have been spread can still serve their function.

No need to create and reprint new QR codes to replace the old ones.

When that happens, you save your team from the burden of having to go through spreading them again.

You don’t have to take down the old ones in fear of confusion. Lastly, you save on printing costs.

Dynamic QR codes are not single-use. After you have created and printed them, there is still a lot you can do.

You have access to the performance of your QR code, including the location, time, frequency, and type of device that was used to make the scan.

Will contactless donations stay after the pandemic?

While QR codes made a strong appearance because of the situation, it is not bound to disappear when the situation improves.

If there is something that happened, it’s that it made people realize the need for technology in the modern world, with or without the pandemic.

Even without the pandemic, the convenience of donating with only the use of a mobile device in any location is not going away.

The speed and security are also unrivaled by other alternatives.

One benefit that is going to keep contactless donations afloat is the ability to make them even for agencies far away.

You don’t need to have any form of communication or contact with them.

What you only need to do is scan a QR code.

So, the benefits of QR code contactless donation efforts are beyond the scope of the pandemic.

The safety that it brings during a time that contact is crucial is only one small detail of what it really brings to the table.

QR codes are more than just convenience.

In several other situations, it is the only viable donation method.

It opens a lot more options for a more effective donation program that was once never possible through conventional means.

Generate QR Codes for contactless donation with QR TIGER

The question should never be, should you, but instead, when should you start?

With the benefits and the possibilities of contactless donation, it is a huge potential loss.

If you want your donation to be contactless and seamless, then using a QR code is the perfect tool you can use.

It is one small step that can result in long-term growth and benefits.

Generate a QR code for a contactless donation with QR TIGER today.