Five reasons for moving to cashless funeral donations

A growing number of funeral businesses are choosing to offer digital-only donations, mirroring the general trend in society away from cash payments.   

Online payments are now more popular than cash and cheques, and contactless payments have increased from 7% of payments in 2016 to 37% in 2022.*

So why should funeral businesses and arrangers choose digital-only donations? 

• More time to care for your families 
  Anyone who’s worked in a funeral business will know that handling cash is very time-consuming.  With digital-only donations, arrangers can spend more time organising funerals and supporting families. 

• More time to work in your communities 
  As funeral businesses, you are at the heart of your community.  Relieved of the burden of handling cash, you can devote more time to community activities, including getting to know local charities which could benefit from online funeral donations.

• Positive feedback from your families 
  Digital-only payments will be well received by families who want to know that donations made in memory of their loved one are managed securely.  By going cashless there will be less burden on families who often get involved in processing cash and cheques. It’s one less thing for them to worry about at what is an incredibly difficult time. 

• Convenience for donors, leading to more donations overall 
  Payment trends certainly indicate that convenience trumps cash, with cash representing a dwindling minority of 22% of all payments.*  Furthermore, in 2023, 18% of donations via MuchLoved were made using mobile wallets (Apple Pay or Google Pay), simpler for donors than inputting card details. Donations via MuchLoved increased by 20% in 2023, showing the popularity of making donations online, and the average donation amount also increased. 

• Greater efficiency for your business 
  With less cash held in branches, the cost of third-party cash collection may be significantly reduced. What’s more, handling cash in-branch comes with several risks which will then need to be managed, adding more complexity to day-to-day operations and potentially carrying an added cost.

How to make going cashless a success 

• Make time to brief colleagues - For the switch to digital-only donations to be successful, it’s important that funeral directors and arrangers are well briefed on how to talk to families about cashless funerals.  MuchLoved can support your business through the change.
• If a family still wants to receive cash - They can provide their own donations box and take responsibility for the money themselves. However, arrangers who can put options and benefits on the table, and are knowledgeable about local causes, are likely to guide families away from cash.   
• Pre-paid funeral plans are not affected – You should check with your plan provider, but an online tribute site is likely to be sufficient for anyone choosing donation management as part of their funeral plan. 
• Use our downloadable QR Codes - Adding a QR code to the Order of Service is an easy way to signpost families to the donations page via their smart phones.  QR codes are easy to download from your MuchLoved partner area. 
   

A success story: East of England Co-op
East of England Co-op moved to cashless funerals in 2023, following a successful trial.  If you would like to learn more about their experience listen to this 30-minute webinar with Colin Dixon, Head of Funerals, and David Downes, Central Operations Manager.  

*Source: UK Finance – UK Payments Markets Summary 2023