SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Salvation Army announced today that it will accept credit-card donations via on-site smartphones equipped with Square credit card readers at its Red Kettles in select cities this Christmas. The readers, provided by the San Francisco based company Square, Inc., will make donating to The Salvation Army easier and faster than ever before. The devices will be used by Salvation Army bell ringers on smartphones donated by Sprint (NYSE:S) in select markets, including San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas and New York, to allow donors who don’t carry cash to give via credit card.
“This partnership brings together the history of the campaign in San Francisco and a great technology from Square that makes it easier than ever for people to donate,” said Major George Hood, National Community Relations and Development Secretary for The Salvation Army. “With so many Americans continuing to struggle amidst the economic downturn, giving back to your neighbors in need has never been more important.”
More than 800,000 Square card readers have been shipped to merchants across the United States who are now empowered to accept payments via credit card. The easy-to-use device plugs into the headphone jack of iPhone, iPad, or Android device, and allows for safe and secure payments through a free downloadable application.
Sprint is providing the smartphone devices to the Salvation Army as well as the wireless service that will power and mobilize the credit card application.
“We’re proud to be part of The Salvation Army’s longstanding holiday fundraising drive by enabling anyone to donate at a Red Kettle with a credit card,” said Jack Dorsey, Co-Founder and CEO of Square. “It is now easier than ever to give to The Salvation Army.”
The announcement was made today in San Francisco marking the 120th anniversary of the Army’s iconic Red Kettle Campaign, which began on the wharf in San Francisco in 1891. During its history, the iconic campaign has become a part of pop culture, being featured in movies, television shows, music and literature. The campaign uses a force of more than 25,000 bellringers to raise money from holiday shoppers throughout the country. Traditionally, those donations have been made in the form of pocket change and small denomination bills. In 2010, more than $142 million was donated to help people in need with toys, food, clothing and other basic life necessities.
The Salvation Army’s Eighth Annual San Francisco Holiday Luncheon, hosted at The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in San Francisco honored The San Francisco Giants Baseball Organization’s ongoing support of the Army and other Bay Area initiatives. Attendees had the opportunity to give using the Square reader. With over 400 members of the community in attendance, Salvation Army bell ringers took credit card donations in support of The Salvation Army’s 120th Red Kettle Campaign.
“The goal of the technology behind the Square reader is simple – make transactions easier, and this year, we plan to make donating to The Salvation Army as easy as possible for our donors,” said Major Hood.
On Thanksgiving Day in Arlington, TX, Salvation Army bell ringers will also be accepting credit cards via Square readers as part of the Red Kettle Kickoff campaign during the Dallas Cowboys game against the Miami Dolphins at Cowboys Stadium at 3:15PM CT. The Red Kettle Kickoff is the 15th year the Dallas Cowboys and The Salvation Army have teamed up to support Americans in need. During the partnership, The Salvation Army has raised more than $1.4 billion to help people during Christmas and throughout the year.
For more information on The Salvation Army and the Red Kettle Kick-off, please visit http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/, www.facebook.com/salvationarmyusa or www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus.
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
About Square, Inc.
Square is revolutionizing millions of everyday transactions between buyers and sellers with its free credit card reader for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Square for iPad serves as a full point of sale system for businesses to accept payments, track inventory, and share menu and location information. Square Card Case is the most seamless way to pay, enabling individuals to pay with their name at their favorite local merchants, discover nearby businesses, explore menu listings and store receipts. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in San Francisco, Square is currently available in the U.S. More information is available at www.squareup.com.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 53 million customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.