Easter is the single most attended church service of the year. Pews that sit half-empty in February are suddenly overflowing in April. Families return. Occasional visitors show up. People who haven’t stepped inside a church since last Christmas find themselves reaching for a hymn sheet and singing along.
For church leaders, it’s a moment of genuine joy — and a significant financial opportunity that many churches unintentionally waste.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: while Easter Sunday can see attendance jump by 50% or more compared to a typical week, most of those extra visitors won’t put anything in the collection plate. Not because they don’t want to give. But because they simply can’t. They don’t carry cash.
The Numbers Behind Easter Giving
Easter’s financial importance to churches is hard to overstate. Research suggests that Easter Sunday alone can account for around 12% of a church’s total annual giving. The average donation per person on Easter Sunday is approximately £30–£45, compared to around £10–£28 on a regular Sunday. It’s a day when generosity runs high — the Easter message of hope and renewal naturally inspires people to give.
But here’s where the maths gets interesting. Easter attendance is typically 50% higher than a regular Sunday, according to research from Lifeway. In evangelical churches, it can be two to three times higher. That means a church that normally welcomes 100 people on a Sunday morning might have 150 to 200 on Easter Sunday.
If 50 to 100 extra people walk through your doors and you’re relying on a cash collection plate, how many of them will actually be able to give? According to UK Finance, only 12% of all UK transactions were made in cash in 2023, down from 48% a decade earlier. Among younger adults, that figure drops even further. The vast majority of your Easter visitors simply won’t have notes and coins in their pockets.
You’re looking at dozens, possibly hundreds, of willing givers who leave your church without donating a penny, not out of reluctance, but because you didn’t give them a way to give.
Why Traditional Collection Methods Fail at Easter
The collection plate works reasonably well for your regular congregation. They know it’s coming, they’ve budgeted for it, and many of them still carry a bit of cash specifically for Sunday giving. But Easter visitors are different in several important ways.
They Weren't Planning to Give
Many Easter visitors are attending on impulse or at a family member’s invitation. They haven’t thought about bringing cash for a donation. A contactless terminal removes the need for advance planning,if they feel moved to give, they can do so instantly with a tap of their card or phone.
They Feel Awkward About the Collection Plate
Imagine sitting in an unfamiliar church as a basket passes along your row. You don’t have cash. Do you pass it along empty-handed while everyone watches? That moment of social discomfort can leave a lasting negative impression on a first-time visitor, the exact opposite of what you want on Easter Sunday. A contactless giving point, positioned discreetly near the entrance or exit, removes that pressure entirely.
They're Used to Tapping, Not Counting Coins
The UK has become overwhelmingly contactless. Over 77% of all debit card payments are now made via contactless, and younger generations, the ones most likely to be Easter visitors, are even more digitally native. Asking them to give cash is like asking them to send a fax. It’s not just inconvenient; it feels genuinely unfamiliar.
How Contactless Giving Transforms Easter Sunday
Churches that have introduced contactless donation points report significant increases in both the number of givers and the average donation amount. Across the charity and church sector, organisations that offer digital giving options see donations increase by an average of 32%, according to data from multiple payment providers.
On Easter Sunday specifically, the impact is amplified because you’re dealing with a much larger proportion of occasional visitors, exactly the people who benefit most from having a tap-to-give option.
Place Giving Points Where Visitors Naturally Gather
The key to maximising Easter donations isn’t just having a contactless terminal — it’s putting it where people will see it and use it. Consider placing a Payaz GivingStation in the entrance foyer where families congregate before and after the service. Position a PayazGo handheld device near the refreshments area, where people linger and chat. If you have an Easter activity for children, place a giving point where parents wait. The more natural and friction-free the giving moment, the more people will respond.
Use Pre-Set Amounts to Guide Giving
One advantage of contactless giving is that you can display suggested donation amounts. A simple screen showing £5, £10, £20, and a custom amount takes the guesswork out of giving for someone who has never donated to your church before. Research shows that suggested amounts significantly increase the average donation because they anchor expectations and make the decision easier.
Capture Gift Aid Automatically
Here’s where Easter giving gets even more powerful. An estimated £560 million in Gift Aid goes unclaimed by UK charities and churches every year, according to HMRC. With a cash donation from an Easter visitor, you’ll almost certainly never capture their Gift Aid declaration. With a contactless system like Payaz, you can prompt for Gift Aid at the point of donation,adding 25% to every eligible gift at no extra cost to the giver.
On a single Easter Sunday, if 50 extra visitors each tap £10 and half of them are eligible for Gift Aid, that’s £500 in donations plus an additional £62.50 in Gift Aid, money that would have been £0 with a cash-only approach.
Turning Easter Visitors into Regular Givers
The financial benefit of Easter giving doesn’t have to be a one-day event. Research shows that only around 10-20% of first-time church visitors return for a second visit. But those who do engage — including through giving — are far more likely to become regular attendees and supporters.
Contactless giving creates a connection point. When someone donates via a digital platform, you have an opportunity to follow up, say thank you, and invite them to explore recurring giving. Recurring givers, according to Vanco Payments, give 120% more annually than one-time donors. One Easter tap could be the beginning of a long-term giving relationship.
Churches that offer multiple giving channels — contactless terminals, online giving portals, and QR codes — see higher retention rates among new givers because they make it easy to give again, whenever and however the person prefers.
A Simple Easter Giving Checklist
• Set up at least one contactless donation point in a high-traffic area before Easter Sunday
• Test the device and ensure its fully charged and working the day before
• Brief your welcome team so they can gently point visitors toward the giving point
• Display a simple sign: ‘Tap to Give — All donations gratefully received’
• Enable Gift Aid capture on your contactless system
• Mention contactless giving during the service — a brief, warm acknowledgement is enough
• Follow up with new givers within 48 hours to say thank you
• Provide information about recurring giving options for those who want to continue supporting your church
Ready to Make This Easter Count?
Payaz makes it simple to accept contactless donations at your church, whether it’s a one-off Easter gift or the start of a regular giving journey. Our PayazGo handheld device and GivingStation freestanding terminal let visitors donate with a single tap, and with built-in Gift Aid capture, you’ll never leave money on the table.
With just a one of cost for hardware and then just £10+VAT per month with a 1.49% transaction rate, Payaz is designed specifically for churches and charities that want to modernise their giving without the complexity.
Click Here to get set up before Easter Sunday.
Sources & References
• Lifeway Research — Easter Remains High Attendance Day for Most Churches (2024)
• UK Finance — UK Payment Markets Report (2024)
• Vanco Payments — Church Giving Statistics (2025)
• HMRC — Gift Aid Statistics (2024)
• Barna Group — Church Visitors at Easter (2023)
• Church of England — Statistics for Mission (2024)
• Diocese of Oxford — Easter Attendance Figures (2025)
