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I was thinking about this the other day from the opposite direction. Seeing the Salvation Army people outside grocery stores with the bells is a little sad now-

I was thinking about this the other day from the opposite direction. Seeing the Salvation Army people outside grocery stores with the bells is a little sad now--because of inflation, the value of loose change just keeps going down and down. At the same time, debit/credit cards are obsoleting cash and making the now-less-valuable change even more scarce. At least here in the bay area, I imagine they'd do much better with square readers than a bell and a bucket for change.

smsm42 14y ago
If I have to pay cash, I usually just leave the change as a tip or donation (many places have boxes for that). But usually I just use cards and carry no cash - which makes me feel rather bad for some panhandlers I occasionally meet and have literally nothing to give them - I have no cash and credit card is not very useful in such situation. I wonder how that goes further as cash is more and more phased out - will still enough people carry cash or will there be some way to beg money electronically? Readers for Salvation Army would be a nice idea - SA brand gives enough trust that they won't do something nasty with your card, and if you have a credit card you probably can afford some donation. OTOH, the cost of the reading device would probably outweigh the donations, so unless there are some very very cheap readers, not yet.
pathy 14y ago
I can't find a source for it right now but I seem to recall some organization like The Red Cross accepting donations by credit cards in Sweden a few years back.
troels 14y ago
A lot of charities are moving online, so what they loose from one source, they can recoup from another. The good thing about online/cc is that the giver isn't limited by whatever spare change he has in the pocket.
sliverstorm 14y ago
Teenagers tell me panhandling is still very lucrative, just throw on some ratty clothes and you still make 2x minimum wage.
- mdonahoe 14y ago
  People are especially generous to homeless youth. You have to watch out for very caring individuals that try to take you to get food or a shelter.

smsm42 14y ago

If I have to pay cash, I usually just leave the change as a tip or donation (many places have boxes for that). But usually I just use cards and carry no cash - which makes me feel rather bad for some panhandlers I occasionally meet and have literally nothing to give them - I have no cash and credit card is not very useful in such situation. I wonder how that goes further as cash is more and more phased out - will still enough people carry cash or will there be some way to beg money electronically? Readers for Salvation Army would be a nice idea - SA brand gives enough trust that they won't do something nasty with your card, and if you have a credit card you probably can afford some donation. OTOH, the cost of the reading device would probably outweigh the donations, so unless there are some very very cheap readers, not yet.

pathy 14y ago

I can't find a source for it right now but I seem to recall some organization like The Red Cross accepting donations by credit cards in Sweden a few years back.

troels 14y ago

A lot of charities are moving online, so what they loose from one source, they can recoup from another. The good thing about online/cc is that the giver isn't limited by whatever spare change he has in the pocket.

sliverstorm 14y ago

Teenagers tell me panhandling is still very lucrative, just throw on some ratty clothes and you still make 2x minimum wage.

mdonahoe 14y ago
People are especially generous to homeless youth. You have to watch out for very caring individuals that try to take you to get food or a shelter.