# Electronic money a threat to donations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/1998/03/02/electronic-money-threat-donations/
- Published: 1998-03-02T00:00:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Electronic money could result in reduced donations being given to charity, according
to a study commissioned by Bull Information Systems.

A survey found that almost two thirds of the UK public believed that electronic 
money would replace cash, with 48% thinking this would happen in the next ten years,
and 19% thinking it would occur within five years. One third of those surveyed believed
that the introduction of electronic money would reduce the level of charitable gifts.
They thought that it would affect street collections in particular.

“Once we start using electronic money instead of small loose change, it is possible
that charities will start to see their income decreasing”, said John Gibson, development
director at Bull Information Systems. “For electronic money to work, it needs to
have all the flexibility of notes and coins – and that includes the ability to easily
donate small amounts of money to the charity of your choice.”

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