A Smarter Red Kettle

🫏 Hack Mule Kudos to the Salvation Army

As I walked out of the grocery story today, I noticed that the Salvation Army bell-ringer was set up with her traditional red kettle to collect holiday donations.

I usually walk past and feel slightly guilty — I haven’t carried cash in years, so I never have anything to drop in the kettle. But this year, a sign flashing in front of the kettle caught my eye.

The Salvation Army now offers “tap to give” at their kettles.

That’s right — the Salvation Army now takes NFC payments via Apple Wallet or G Pay. The sign is embedded with NFC touch points where you can tap your phone or watch to make a contribution.

They’ve been doing it for a couple of years, although this is the first time I’ve noticed it.

And they’re smart about it, too. While I might throw a dollar or two in cash into the kettle, I felt honor-bound to go bigger this time. That’s a smart nudge on the Salvation Army’s part.

The cool thing is, you barely need to break stride to make a contribution. Hold your device up, listen for the beep, and move on. Your credit-card statement will even provide a receipt.

So, when you’re out and about this holiday season, I urge you to consider rewarding non-profit innovation like this. The Salvation Army is trying to meet people where they are — and that’s a great move.

Well done!