HSBC customers can now donate to DEC via 3789 ATMs

HSBC and first direct customers can now donate vital funds to the Disasters Emergency Appeal DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal via their 3789 ATM machines nationwide, the only high street banks to provide the facility.

Commenting on the introduction, Head of Community Affairs, Peter Bull said, ‘We're all acutely aware that we're living through tough economic times but we wanted to make it as convenient as possible for our customers to donate vital funds to the East Africa Crisis Appeal because every extra pound makes a difference.'

This brings the number of charities benefitting from this service through the bank's ATM's to seven.  Last year over £341,623 was donated through the HSBC's machines including £121,950 to the DEC Haiti appeal.  This year £68,539 was donated to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal alone.

However, HSBC and first direct have appealed to customers donating through their ATM's to make sure they complete the gift aid section as they donate.

Gift Aid is an easy way for charities to increase the value of gifts of money from UK taxpayers by claiming back the basic rate tax paid by the donor.  It costs the donor nothing, but as long as they are a tax payer, they could effectively increase the total amount they are donating to their charity of choice.  The bank has discovered that on average only 13% of people donating via this pain free method add Gift Aid.

Charities which can be donated to via HSBC ATMs
DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal
British Red Cross (during specific crises)
British Heart Foundation
Cancer Research UK
ChildLine
Mencap
Alzheimer's Society
WWF
Children in Need

How Gift Aid works
When an individual, sole trader or partnership gives money to a charity or CASC through Gift Aid, the charity can take their donation - which is money they've already paid tax on - and reclaim basic rate tax from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) on its ‘gross' equivalent - the amount before basic rate tax was deducted. If a donor is a higher rate tax payer, they too can benefit from the tax relief as they can claim back the difference between the higher rates of tax at 40 or 50 per cent and the basic rate of tax at 20 per cent on the total value of their gross donation.