Which Charity Card Reader Should You Choose?

You may already be using a card reader but are you using software that is designed for the charity experience? That’s where Give A Little comes in. Rather than giving your donors a retail experience, when you combine our software with a card reader, donors are in control. They get to decide how much they want to donate and you can enable charity focused features like Gift Aid and marketing consent. You can also add your charity branding and logos to give a professional look and feel and give your donors the peace of mind that they are donating to a legitimate cause.

At Give A Little, we’re all about empowering you to raise more while keeping things affordable, flexible and easy. We work with two payment processors, SumUp and Stripe, so you can choose which works best for you, or perhaps a combination of the two will suit your needs.

Who are SumUp and Stripe?

When choosing a card reader, you want to work with companies that are credible, reliable, well-established, and trusted. You need to know your money is safe.

was founded in 2012 and has grown into a global payment giant, trusted by over 4 million businesses worldwide. They’re all about making card payments accessible for everyone - including charities!

While

roots are in online payments (powering some of the biggest names on the web), they’ve extended their expertise to in-person payments with the WisePad 3. Stripe is trusted by startups, businesses, and nonprofits alike. They've also released their own handheld card reader, the Stripe S700 Reader, which you can use with Give A Little without a separate phone or tablet.

Both companies are secure, reputable, and widely used, so you’re in safe hands.

SumUp Air: Simple and Affordable

The SumUp Air is a compact, lightweight card reader designed to be user-friendly and budget-friendly and is a great option to pair with the Give A Little Android App. Here’s what you get:

• Easy pairing with the Give A Little Android App
  - you can  pair your SumUp Air card reader with the Give A Little App via Bluetooth.

• Affordable Hardware
  : The SumUp Air is one of the most cost-effective card readers on the market. Perfect if your charity is just starting out or on a tight budget. You can also
  purchase
  a SumUp Air through Give A Little for just £19.

• A low transaction Fee
  : SumUp keeps it simple with a pay-as-you-go model. The Give A Little community of charities benefit from a transaction fee of 1.49% for your contactless donations which was
  recently reduced
  from 1.69%!  

• Compact Design
  : Its sleek, pocket-sized design makes it easy to carry to any event or fundraiser. Why not look into purchasing a charging dock for your SumUp Air and a simple tablet stand to create your own DIY countertop point of donation? Or you could source a lanyard holder for both the SumUp Air and Android smartphone running the Give A Little App to set up an easy, hands free portable contactless donation box.

• Battery Life
  : The battery can handle up to 500 transactions on a single charge with a battery life of up to 12 hours—ideal for when you're out and about at busy fundraising opportunities.

If you’re looking for a no-fuss, budget-friendly solution, SumUp Air might just be the one for your organisation. Also, if you’re located outside of the UK, you might have seen the SumUp Solo Lite which is the new version of the SumUp Air. This is also compatible with Give A Little and is coming soon to the UK.

The SumUp Solo is a more expensive card reader than the SumUp Air at around £69 but it can be used without a separate phone or tablet so you may already have some at your charity. However, the Solo on its own doesn’t offer charity focused features like Gift Aid and marketing opt-in. You can pair the SumUp Solo with the Give A Little Android App to add your charity branding and features like Gift Aid and marketing opt-in.

Stripe WisePad 3: Fully featured, Easy and Flexible

Whilst the Stripe WisePad 3 it’s slightly pricier, it comes with features that fundraisers will appreciate when combined with the Give A Little Android App:

• Easy pairing with the Give a Little App
  - you have the choice of pairing your WisePad 3 to the Give A Little Android App via Bluetooth or via a cable

• Advanced Features
  : The Stripe WisePad 3 brings additional features to your Give A Little contactless fundraising. No internet? No problem! With offline donations you'll never miss out on donations again. As well as offering the option of monthly recurring contactless donations and single amount Give & Go for those super busy fundraising periods (every fundraisers dream). By integrating Stripe with Give A Little, you also open up the option of using Give A Little Tap to Pay - collect contactless donations without the need for a separate card reader using just your Android smartphone. 

• Battery Life
  : Once fully charged, its battery should last for about 500-600 transactions. With a battery life of up to 15 hours.

• Design
  : The WisePad 3 is lightweight and handheld — a great option for charities hosting regular events and campaigns in tandem with a tablet or phone running the Give A Little Android App..

• Transaction Fees
  : You can integrate Give A Little Stripe into your Give A Little account, which has a market-leading low transaction fee of 1.58% (UK) to further our mission to drive down the cost of cashless donation technology. Alternatively you can choose to integrate a standard Stripe account (fees as per your agreement)

If you’re looking for a feature-rich card reader to use with GIve A Little, the WisePad 3 is a great choice.

• An all-in-one card reader:
  The Stripe S700 Reader is a sleek handheld card reader which comes with the Give A Little App embedded onto it so there is no need for a separate phone or tablet.

• Fantastic features:
  The
  S700 Reader
  has a card slot for easy Chip + PIN donations. You can enable recurring monthly contactless donations and support offline donations (it requires a secure WiFi connection and doesn’t support a SIM card).

• Battery Life
  : Once fully charged, benefit from an impressive 15 hours of battery life.

• Optional accessories:
  The S700 Reader also has optional accessories available to purchase including a case and a charging dock. Get in touch with us a hello@givealittle.co to place an order

• Transaction fees:
  if integrating Give A Little Stripe, the transaction fee is 1.58% with a £4 per month usage fee in months where the device is used to take a donation.

Both card readers are easily paired with the Give A Little app via Bluetooth. The Stripe WisePad 3 can also use a USB-C cable.

So, Which One Should You Choose?

It really depends on your charity’s needs and budget:

• Go for SumUp Air if…
  you want something affordable, lightweight, and super simple to use. It’s ideal if you know you'll be using it in situations/locations with great connectivity.

• Choose Stripe WisePad 3 if…
  you’re already using Stripe or need more advanced features.

• Choose Stripe S700 Reader
  if you are looking for an all-in-one card reader which doesn’t require a separate phone or tablet 

Pairing Your Card Reader with Give A Little

Here’s the best part: whichever card reader you choose, pairing it with Give A Little takes your fundraising to the next level. You can enhance the donation experience from being merely transactional to inspirational. 

Our platform is designed to work seamlessly with both SumUp and Stripe, giving you the tools to:

• Customise Donation Screens
  : Add your charity’s branding and messaging to inspire your donors, and also give them the confidence of a genuine donation. 

• Bespoke Donation Amounts
  - Put your donors in control and avoid potentially awkward conversations about money by adding suggested donation amounts,  as well as giving the donors the option to choose their own. 

• Track Your Campaigns and Donations
  : Get real-time insights into your fundraising progress with in depth reporting in your Give A Little admin account.

• Encourage Gift Aid
  : Make it easy for donors to add Gift Aid, boosting your donations by 25% (if you’re UK-based).

• Capture Marketing Opt Ins:
  Build lasting relationships with new donors, encouraging them to become lifelong supporters.

• Low fees:
  Give A Little has a
  monthly subscription
  based on how much you raise through Give A Little in a rolling 12 month period: 

Whether you go with SumUp or Stripe card readers, both payment processors offer excellent options for charities looking to embrace cashless giving. Think about your budget, how often you’ll use it, and the features you need. And remember, Give A Little is here to help you every step of the way.

Ready to get started? Let’s make donating easier than ever for your supporters! hello@givealittle.co