Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations

Social Justice

Mobile operators including Orange and T-Mobile are taking a significant cut of charitable donations made by text message. Charges of up to 20% are levied on small gifts.

Mobile operators including Orange and T-Mobile are taking significant cuts of charitable donations made by text message.

Figures from the Vir2, which provides mobile fundraising services to charities, shows the full array of charges from Britain’s six mobile networks. Only O2 and Vodafone pass on the full donation to charities with T-Mobile taking 20% from a £1 donation. Virgin Mobile takes 11% of all donations, Orange takes 10% while Three takes 5%. According to Vir2, operators also charge the cost of the text message.

The Observer and Mail on Sunday cover the story today. Orin Lewis, head of ACLT, a charity helping people with leukaemia told the paper:

“We appreciate that they have to cover costs, but the perception is that the costs are excessive.”

Mandy Pursey of the Charities Aid Foundation told the Mail:

“Fees have come down, but we’d like them to come down even more. Otherwise it’s a barrier to it really taking off as a way to donate.”

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33 Responses to “Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations”

  1. Samuel Palin

    I had no idea about this. It's pretty darn low. RT @leftfootfwd Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5

  2. Anna Dodridge

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  3. Finola Kerrigan

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  4. john peter ingamells

    RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/eWb8N5

  5. Andrew Breading

    RT @leftfootfwd: Orange and T-Mobile rip-off charitable text donations http://bit.ly/gljACp

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