Explainer
What is card-linked giving?
Card-linked giving is a way to support charity through everyday shopping. You link the payment card you already use, choose the causes you care about, and when you pay at participating businesses, the business funds a donation. You don’t pay anything extra, and there’s nothing to remember at the till.
How card-linked giving works
Link your card once
You connect the debit or credit card you already use to a card-linked giving service. You don’t get a new card.
Choose your causes
You pick the charities or causes you want your spending to support.
Shop as normal
You pay with that card at participating businesses, in the usual way. No codes, links or apps at the till.
The business funds a donation
When an eligible purchase is made, the participating business pays for a donation to your chosen causes.
See your impact
The service tracks the donations your spending has generated, so you can see the difference it makes.
Who pays for the donation?
The participating business does. Businesses take part because customers increasingly choose brands that support causes they care about, and card-linked giving lets them do that without building their own scheme or changing how people pay.
That’s the key difference from most ways of giving while you shop, where the money ultimately comes from you.
How it compares with other ways to give while you shop
| Way of giving | Who pays the donation | What you have to do |
|---|---|---|
| Card-linked giving (KindSpend) | The participating business | Link your card once, then shop as normal |
| Shopping-portal fundraising | The retailer, from its affiliate commission | Start each purchase from a portal, link or browser extension |
| Round-up apps | You, from your own money | Spare change is rounded up and donated |
| Donating at the till or checkout | You, from your own money | Choose to add a donation each time |
| Payroll giving | You, from your pay (before tax) | Set up through your employer |
Round-ups, checkout donations and payroll giving are all great ways to give your own money. Card-linked giving adds something different: donations funded by the businesses you already shop with.
Card-linked giving in the UK: KindSpend
KindSpend is building card-linked giving for UK shoppers. Over the past 18 months we’ve built and tested the platform: card-linked purchase tracking, refunds handled properly so donations only count on purchases that stick, and donations calculated from each partner’s agreement and each member’s chosen charities.
Before card networks will connect a new service, they need to see an active community behind it. That’s why KindSpend is building its founding community first. It’s free to join, and you only need an email address.
Read how KindSpend keeps your card and data safe, more abouthow KindSpend will work, or how it helpscharities and partner businesses.
Common questions
What is card-linked giving?
Card-linked giving is a way to support charity through everyday shopping. You link the payment card you already use to a giving service, choose your causes, and when you pay at participating businesses, the business funds a donation. You don’t pay anything extra.
Who pays for the donation?
The participating business. That’s what makes card-linked giving different from round-ups or checkout donations, where the money comes from you.
How is it different from shopping-portal fundraising?
Shopping portals usually need you to start each purchase from their website, a link or a browser extension, and they mostly work online. Card-linked giving works from the card you pay with, so once it’s set up there’s nothing to remember.
Is card-linked giving available in the UK?
KindSpend is building card-linked giving for UK shoppers. The platform has been built and tested, and it will switch on once there’s an active community behind it. You can join the waitlist now.
Is card-linked giving safe?
With KindSpend, your card details are handled by a card-linking provider certified to PCI DSS Level 1, the card industry’s highest security standard, and turned into a secure token. KindSpend never holds your full card number. KindSpend only learns which partner you bought from, the amount and the date. It can’t see your full card number, bank account or other spending, and can’t take payments. Your data is protected under UK GDPR, and your bank’s protections don’t change. To join the waitlist you only need an email address.
Help bring card-linked giving to the UK.
Step 2 of 2
Last step: confirm your email.
Your sign-up only counts once you confirm.
We’ve sent a link to . Tap it and you’re in. Confirmed members are what show card networks and partners that people really want KindSpend.
Nothing there? Check spam or promotions for an email from hello@kindspend.co.uk. If it gets lost, we’ll send you one reminder.