Text-to-give is an easy and effective way for registered charities to collect donations. Supporters can give with just a few taps on a mobile phone, making the process convenient for donors and straightforward for fundraising teams to manage.
Mobile giving lets charities reach a wider audience and engage donors who prefer to act immediately, on whatever device they happen to have in their hand.
Choosing the right platform takes time. This guide covers the UK mobile-giving landscape honestly, including which platforms work for small-to-mid UK charities, how Gift Aid interacts with SMS donations, and the five features that matter most when you are evaluating your options.
In this article:
Use text-to-give to reach mobile donors
Mobile giving has become central to UK charity fundraising. Supporters increasingly expect to donate by phone whether they are at a village fete, watching a charity auction, or responding to a Christmas appeal email.
It is worth understanding how UK "text-to-give" actually works in 2026, because the landscape has changed significantly. The 70070 shortcode service (formerly JustTextGiving, operated by Vodafone and used by thousands of UK charities) closed in 2023. Most UK "text-to-give" today means an SMS message containing a link to a mobile-optimised donation page, not a premium-SMS charge to the donor's phone bill. Charities still reading guides built around the old charge-to-bill model are working from outdated advice.
The most sustainable UK "text donation" flow is now SMS-to-Direct-Debit sign-up. Direct Debit accounts for roughly 31% of all UK charity donations and is the backbone of regular giving. When a donor clicks a link in a text message and completes a Direct Debit mandate on a mobile-optimised form, the charity gains a regular supporter, not just a one-off gift.
Beyond Direct Debit, SMS-shared donation links work with card payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Open Banking (Pay by Bank), all of which settle instantly on a mobile screen without any shortcode infrastructure.
Gift Aid on mobile donations
Gift Aid is the single most important UK reason to run a mobile-giving campaign well. For every £1 a UK taxpayer donates, the charity can reclaim 25p from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), turning a £10 donation into £12.50 at no extra cost to the donor (HMRC Gift Aid guidance).
For Gift Aid to apply, three things must be true:
- The donor must confirm they are a UK taxpayer who has paid (or will pay) enough Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax to cover the claim.
- The charity must be HMRC-recognised (a separate registration from your Charity Commission or OSCR registration, applied for via HMRC Charities Online).
- The donation must be a genuine gift, not payment for goods or services.
That last point matters for mobile campaigns: Gift Aid does not apply to raffle ticket purchases, event ticket sales, or auction lots sold at fair value, even if the transaction is completed via an SMS-shared link. A mobile-giving platform that captures Gift Aid declarations for a donation form may not be legally able to do so for a raffle entry on the same form.
The real UK mobile-giving pain point is not shortcodes. It is that a small charity running a fete ticket sale, an autumn appeal donation page, a Christmas raffle, and a sponsored 5K currently pays four separate tools: a ticketing platform, a donation platform, a crowdfunding platform, and a CRM. A well-chosen mobile-giving platform should consolidate that stack rather than add to it.
Compare the best UK text-to-give and mobile-giving platforms
The UK mobile-giving platform market is smaller than the US equivalent, and the vendor landscape has shifted significantly since 2023. Below is an honest shortlist of platforms UK charities actually use, with each platform's most relevant UK features. Always verify current UK pricing directly with each provider before committing; the figures here reflect publicly available information at publication.
Zeffy: free all-in-one fundraising platform with Gift Aid handling
Zeffy is a 100% free fundraising platform: no platform fee, no transaction fee, no credit card fee, ever. It is not a premium-SMS shortcode operator. Its UK mobile-giving proposition is mobile-optimised donation forms that can be shared by SMS or QR code, tap-to-pay for in-person events, and Gift Aid declaration capture built into the donation flow.
For a small UK charity currently stitching together Ticket Tailor, JustGiving, and a CRM, Zeffy provides ticketing, donation pages, raffles, auctions, memberships, and donor management in a single free platform.
Zeffy does not charge charities anything. It funds its operations through optional voluntary contributions from donors, with no default tip prompt hidden in the checkout.
Right fit when: you want to consolidate your fundraising stack and pay nothing, and you are comfortable directing donors to a mobile-optimised web form rather than a traditional phone-bill shortcode.
Donorbox: paid mobile-giving platform with UK Gift Aid support
Donorbox offers text-to-give functionality for UK charities on its paid plans, including Gift Aid declaration capture and recurring giving by Direct Debit. It integrates with Stripe and GoCardless.
Pricing starts with a free tier (platform fee of 1.75% on donations) and moves to a paid plan with a lower flat fee. Text-to-give is an add-on cost on top of the base plan. Pull current UK pricing from the Zeffy vs Donorbox compare page before making a decision.
Right fit when: your charity wants a dedicated text-to-give keyword and is willing to pay a monthly subscription and platform fee for it.
GoodBox: contactless donation hardware for in-person events
GoodBox makes dedicated contactless donation devices (the GBx device) and a mobile donation app for in-person giving at churches, museums, visitor attractions, and fundraising events. It directly addresses the "cash is dying" problem at community events.
GoodBox is hardware, not SMS. Devices are purchased or rented with a per-transaction fee. It is the right choice when your charity needs a dedicated tap-to-donate physical device at a venue rather than asking staff to use their own phones. Pull current UK fees from the Zeffy vs GoodBox compare page.
Right fit when: your charity runs a physical venue (church, museum, visitor attraction) where a staffed tap-to-donate device is more appropriate than a QR code on a poster.
Wonderful.org: 0% Open Banking donations
Wonderful.org offers Open Banking (Pay by Bank) donations with a genuinely 0% platform fee and 0% Gift Aid processing fee. Donors authenticate via their bank app and transfer directly, with no card processing markup. An SMS-shared link to a Wonderful donation page is a lean, high-value mobile-giving route.
The trade-off is reach: the Open Banking journey converts well with digitally confident donors who are comfortable with their bank's app, but less well with older donors who find the bank-authentication flow unfamiliar.
Right fit when: your charity's donor base skews younger and digitally confident, and you want to maximise the proportion of each gift that reaches the cause.
CAF Donate: the trust-first choice for conservative boards
CAF Donate is run by the Charities Aid Foundation, a charity infrastructure body with decades of UK sector standing. More than 8,000 UK charities use CAF Donate. It supports embedded donation buttons, Direct Debit, and Gift Aid processing, and it carries the kind of institutional trust that helps with conservative boards and major donors who check their charity against recognisable names.
CAF Donate is not primarily a text-to-give or SMS platform, but an SMS-shared link to a CAF Donate page is a standard mobile-giving route for many UK charities.
Right fit when: your board prioritises institutional credibility and your primary channel is a web donation page rather than a pure SMS campaign.
JustGiving: the household name with a tip-prompt caveat
JustGiving is the best-known UK donation platform. Its brand recognition helps with cold donors who trust the URL. SMS-shared JustGiving donation pages are widely used, and the platform supports Gift Aid declaration collection for registered charities.
The honest caveat: JustGiving's default donor tip prompt (around 17% suggested) is the single most-criticised pattern in UK fundraising press, including by Money Saving Expert readers and the wider charity sector. Donors who feel the tip was added without their knowledge leave negative reviews and sometimes contact the charity directly. If you use JustGiving, verify the current tip default and decide whether the brand-recognition benefit outweighs the transparency risk.
Right fit when: you need maximum brand recognition for a public campaign and your donor audience is general-public rather than repeat supporters already familiar with your own donation page.
GivenGain: subscription-free peer-to-peer with UK Gift Aid
GivenGain is a subscription-free P2P fundraising platform with a growing UK footprint since its 2022 UK launch. It offers free automated Gift Aid processing and SMS-friendly champion fundraising pages. It is used by British Heart Foundation, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, and the Swimathon.
Right fit when: your mobile-giving campaign is a sponsored challenge event and you want peer-to-peer fundraising pages that process Gift Aid without a monthly subscription fee.
Five features to look for in a mobile-giving platform
1. Capture a Gift Aid declaration at the point of donation
This is the most important UK-specific feature. The donation form, however the donor reaches it (by SMS link, QR code, or web page), must let the donor submit a Gift Aid declaration: full name, home address, and confirmation that they are a UK taxpayer who wants their donation treated as Gift Aid. Without this, the charity cannot reclaim 25p on every £1 donated (HMRC Gift Aid guidance).
Check that the Gift Aid declaration flow is built into the form itself, not added as a confusing post-donation step. Some platforms treat it as optional configuration that must be switched on manually.
2. Meet Fundraising Regulator standards
The Code of Fundraising Practice (Section 9, effective 1 November 2025) sets standards for online fundraising platforms: transparent fees, clear disclosure of any optional contribution, accessible complaints handling. Charities should check whether their chosen platform is Fundraising Regulator-registered and whether its donor-facing checkout complies with the current Code.
This matters especially for the tip/voluntary-contribution disclosure. A platform that adds an undisclosed or hard-to-remove tip to the donor's total is operating outside the spirit of the Code and risks reputational damage for your charity.
3. Handle UK GDPR and consent properly
UK GDPR (via the Data Protection Act 2018, overseen by the Information Commissioner's Office) requires a lawful basis to process donor personal data. For SMS marketing, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) apply: new soft-opt-in guidance for charities was published in 2026. Any mobile-giving platform that collects donor contact details for future SMS communications must handle consent and record-keeping correctly from the first interaction.
Check that the platform stores consent records, allows donors to withdraw consent, and supports data-export requests. Section 2.1.5 of the Code of Fundraising Practice also requires appropriate legal basis before sharing or selling donor data.
4. Publish transparent fees with no hidden tip prompts
UK charity donors are fee-sensitive, and the sector has learned hard lessons from opaque tipping models. Before choosing a platform, verify three figures: the platform fee (if any), the payment-processing fee (usually a percentage plus a flat pence charge per transaction), and whether the donor checkout includes any default voluntary contribution or tip.
A platform that charges the charity 0% but adds a 15% default tip to the donor's total is not fee-free from the donor's perspective. Transparency about the full cost of a transaction, for both the charity and the donor, is a baseline expectation (Fundraising Regulator).
5. Integrate with your existing UK stack
Most small UK charities use GoCardless for Direct Debit, Stripe for card payments, and a CRM such as Beacon or Donorfy for donor management. A mobile-giving platform that works with these tools saves data-entry time and reduces the risk of duplicate donor records. Prioritise platforms that offer direct integrations with GoCardless and your CRM rather than CSV-export-only data flows.
Consider the modern alternatives to SMS shortcodes
For most small UK charities, the most practical mobile-giving setup in 2026 does not involve a traditional SMS shortcode at all. Consider these alternatives before paying for shortcode infrastructure:
- QR codes on printed materials. A QR code on a collection tin, event programme, or wall poster links directly to a mobile-optimised donation page with Gift Aid declaration built in. Supporters scan and donate without typing a keyword or number. Cost: zero, if your platform generates QR codes for free.
- Tap-to-pay at events. A smartphone running a mobile payment app, or a dedicated device like GoodBox, lets supporters tap their card or phone at a fete, auction, or church collection. This solves the "cash is dying" problem flagged consistently by UK community fundraisers.
- Open Banking (Pay by Bank). Platforms like Wonderful.org offer account-to-account donations with a 0% fee and instant settlement. An SMS link to a Pay by Bank page is a genuinely low-cost mobile-giving route for charities whose donors are comfortable with bank-app authentication.
- SMS-shared donation page links. A single text to your supporter list containing a link to a mobile-optimised donation page is technically "text-to-give" in the sense your donors experience it. No shortcode required. Zeffy generates mobile-optimised donation pages with QR codes and Gift Aid declaration capture, all free.
Final thoughts on text-to-give for UK charities
The UK text-to-give provider pool has narrowed significantly since 2023. The old charge-to-phone-bill model (70070 shortcode) is no longer available for most charities. What remains is a practical set of tools: SMS-shared mobile donation links, tap-to-pay for events, QR codes, and Open Banking.
For most small-to-mid UK charities, the right answer is a free, mobile-optimised fundraising platform with Gift Aid declaration built in, rather than a dedicated SMS shortcode product with a monthly subscription fee. Zeffy provides that platform at 100% free for registered charities and not-for-profits: no platform fee, no transaction fee, and Gift Aid handled inside the donation flow.
Mix your mobile-giving methods. A QR code at the door, an SMS link in your appeal email, and a tap-to-pay device at the auction table together capture every donor, whether they are cash-free or card-first. Each platform in this guide offers something different. Choose the combination that fits your events, your donor base, and your budget.
Frequently asked questions
How do you set up text donations for a UK charity?
Start by choosing a UK mobile-giving platform that supports your preferred payment method (card, Direct Debit, or Open Banking) and includes a Gift Aid declaration form.
Once registered, the platform will generate a mobile-optimised donation page. Share the link by SMS to your supporter list, display it as a QR code on printed materials, or embed it on your website. You do not need to register a dedicated shortcode unless you specifically want a keyword-based campaign; most UK charities now direct donors to a link rather than a number.
Make sure your charity is HMRC-recognised (registered with HMRC Charities Online, separately from your Charity Commission or OSCR registration) before you claim Gift Aid on any donations received.
Promote your registered charity number and, where relevant, the Fundraising Regulator badge on any SMS campaign materials. Donors look for these trust signals before giving.
What types of payments do text-to-give campaigns accept in the UK?
In 2026, most UK text-to-give campaigns work by sending donors a link to a mobile web page where they complete the donation using card (credit or debit), Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Open Banking (Pay by Bank).
Charges directly to the mobile phone bill via a premium-SMS shortcode are no longer the standard mechanism for UK charity giving following the closure of the main charity shortcode service in 2023. Some specialist aggregators still offer shortcode products, but the mainstream UK mobile-giving route is a mobile-optimised donation page reached via a link.
Open Banking donations via platforms like Wonderful.org settle as account-to-account bank transfers at 0% platform fee. Direct Debit sign-up (via GoCardless) can also be completed on a mobile form, converting a one-off text response into a regular monthly gift.
All of these payment types can collect a Gift Aid declaration at the point of donation, provided the platform is configured to do so.
How can I promote my text-to-give campaign in the UK?
Display your mobile giving link or QR code on all campaign materials: event programmes, collection tins, pull-up banners, social media posts, and your charity's email newsletter. Include your registered charity number and Gift Aid uplift message ("Your donation is worth 25% more with Gift Aid") to reassure donors and encourage them to complete the declaration.
Use UK charity calendar moments as campaign pegs: the Christmas appeal (the highest-donation-value period for most UK charities), Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving, now widely used in the UK), Macmillan Coffee Morning, Comic Relief, and your own community events.
Always display the Fundraising Regulator badge on your materials and website. UK donors look for it as a baseline trust signal, alongside your registered charity number. Charities should also comply with the Code of Fundraising Practice requirements for digital fundraising communications, including clear identification of the sending charity and a straightforward opt-out route for SMS.
Is there a limit to how much someone can donate through a mobile-giving campaign?
For most UK mobile-giving flows (donation via a link to a card-payment page), donation limits are set by your payment processor and your platform's configuration, not by a mobile carrier. Most UK card processors set a per-transaction cap of several thousand pounds; there is no regulatory ceiling equivalent to the old premium-SMS shortcode limit.
For Direct Debit donations, there is no standard per-transaction cap, though your platform or bank may set its own maximum for new mandates.
If your platform also supports the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS), note that GASDS applies a 25% top-up on small cash and contactless donations of £30 or less, without a written Gift Aid declaration. This scheme has a cap of £8,000 in eligible small donations per tax year (yielding a £2,000 top-up for the charity). See HMRC Gift Aid guidance for full eligibility conditions.
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