We’re developing an exciting app for our employees to make easy charitable donations.

Part one of a series.

Cash, credit cards and wallets are going digital. Mobile payments now provide easier and more secure ways for users to buy physical goods and services with a touch. Gone are the days of having to fill in billing, shipping and contact details.

Mobile Payments on the Rise

Consider the following industry trends:

  • According to Accenture, 52% of North Americans are “extremely aware” of mobile payments. Only 18% use them on a regular basis.
  • eMarketer projects a 210% growth in the total value of mobile payment transactions in 2016 ($27.05 billion).
  • According to 451 Research, one of the biggest drivers of mobile payments is the EMV liability shift, which is helping seed the market with contactless point-of-sale terminals. This means the infrastructure for mobile payments is beginning to fall into place.
  • One of the biggest success stories for mobile commerce comes from Starbucks, which reported more than 20% of in-store transactions in the United States are from their mobile app.

Here at Centric, we believe that mobile payments will have a disruptive effect on the larger ecosystem of B2B payments. In the next five years, how many of our clients will demand the ability to pay for products and services from their phone?

So, our Digital team recently took a look at our broader strategy for using mobile commerce as a platform to help clients and communities understand the opportunities in digital payment technologies.

I am proud to announce something that is a first for Centric. It’s also a first for the consulting industry – and the communities in which we live. We call it: the Centric Connect Charitable Giving Platform.

Centric Connect and Charitable Giving

Next week, we will release a new update to the Centric Connect mobile app for Apple iOS and Google Android that enables any employee to make a charitable donation to non-profit organizations that, like Centric, are committed to making a difference in people’s lives.

Igniting a passion for the greater good is one of Centric’s core values. We take pride in our commitment to improving the world in which we live and taking an active role in preserving our environment for future generations. We are steadfast in our devotion to the communities we serve, and in actively promoting employee involvement in community improvement projects.

How it Works

Using the Apple Pay or Android Pay functionality on their smart phone, our employees will be able to make charitable donations to non-profit social services organizations in their community. Making a donation is easy: Our employees will simply use the Centric Connect app to select a charitable organization and the dollar amount of their donation.

They securely authorize and authenticate the donation by pressing their finger print or thumb print on the touch ID sensor. Fees are charged to the credit card on file with Apple or Google, and processed by our third party payment processor called Stripe. Stripe deposits the employee’s donation into the charitable organization’s bank account.

Mobile Payments

How to Participate

Charitable organizations that wish to participate in Centric’s charitable giving program must complete a secure, one-time registration on Centric’s website. The registration process requires each organization to register with Stripe, and takes just minutes to complete.

Want to Know More?

If you’re interested in knowing more about mobile payment and digital wallets for your organization, our Digital team would love to talk with you. Or if you’d like to utilize the Centric Connect platform as an accelerator for your charitable giving program, drop us a note.

Read the Series