This year’s Poppy Appeal will give the British public the chance to donate via contactless card, alongside cash, for the first time on such a large scale.



The Royal British Legion, in partnership with card payment services provider Cardnet, is piloting the scheme with 200 mobile donation terminals across the UK.

The terminals, featuring the familiar Poppy design, will have three pre-set donation levels of £2, £3 and £5 enabling donors to quickly and securely make their donation for the traditional poppy or for a lapel pin.

Poppy Appeal ambassador, Nell McAndrew said: “Hopefully this fantastic move from the Royal British Legion and Cardnet will make it easier for millions more Britons to make a donation this year then wear their poppy with pride.”

The contactless terminals will be used across the UK alongside the traditional cash collecting tins to make it as easy as possible for the public to donate for a poppy.

Tony Nash, Lloyds Bank Cardnet MD said: “Contactless has revolutionised how consumers pay for goods and services, and with fewer and fewer people carrying cash, using these contactless terminals should lead to more donations this year’s Poppy Appeal. We’re really proud to be supporting the Legion and hope this pilot will lead to a hugely successful 2017 Appeal.”



Simon O’Leary, Assistant Director, Community and Mass Events at The Royal British Legion said: “This partnership with Cardnet is another great step in making it simpler for the brilliant British public to support our Armed Forces community. It’s vitally important that we continue to adapt to changing consumer behaviour and make it as easy as we can for the public to donate for a poppy.”