# BBC Children in Need uses OpenMarket to handle mobile donations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/12/05/bbc-children-need-uses-openmarket-handle-mobile-donations/
- Published: 2013-12-05T10:00:56+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

BBC Children in Need, which this year achieved a record fundraising total, is using
OpenMarket’s Mobile Engagement Platform to raise funds via premium SMS. It began
handling donations from the beginning of the appeal on 7 October 2013, and will 
continue to accept them until midnight on 31 January 2014.

This year donors had the choice of three charity donation SMS short codes, giving
them the option of donation £1, £5 or £10 via text. Donors are charged the amount
of their donation, plus the standard network message charge. For donors with text
messages included in their mobile phone plans, the message charge is deducted from
their allowance.

As well as providing the donation handling system, OpenMarket also advised BBC Children
in Need on best practice for end user experience for mobile donations made via text
message.

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> 3, O2, EE, Virgin, and Vodafone have all waived their charges

UK mobile operators 3, O2, EE, Virgin, and Vodafone have all waived their charges
in order to allow [BBC Children in Need](http://www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey) to receive
the full amount donated by mobile. HM Treasury has also confirmed that UK operators
should not charge VAT on these text-based donations.

## Over £4m donated via mobile

UK donors have so far given over £4 million via mobile to BBC Children in Need in
this record-breaking year.

Adrian Sarosi, Director of Marketing and Business Development at OpenMarket EMEA,
commented:

> “At times, the OpenMarket platform processed sustained bursts of over 400 donations
> a second – which shows the power of the mobile channel as well as the stability
> of our platform”.

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is also using the OpenMarket Mobile Engagement
Platform to power mobile premium SMS (PSMS) fundraising for its Philippines Typhoon
Appeal in the UK. The DEC Philippines appeal launched on 12 November and has so 
far received more than £1 million in premium SMS donations from the UK public.

**How to give by mobile**

Any UK donor can donate £10 to BBC Children in need via SMS on their mobile by texting
DONATE to 70710 until midnight on January 31 2014. [Terms and conditions](http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/isite_assets/pudsey/donate/text_donate_ten.pdf)
apply. Texts cost £10 plus the standard network charges and donors must be 16 or
over and have the bill payers’ permission.