February 13, 2026
DragosCondreaW/Depositphotos.com
Are Donation Requests Causing More Stress Than Benefits at Checkout?
A new university study finds retailers asking for donations at checkout can see the act “backfire,” causing shoppers to be less willing to donate and lowering their opinion of the store.
The donation requests — often prompted by a cashier asking for a small charitable donation as customers are checking out — are expected to demonstrate social responsibility and engender goodwill for the retailer, as well help fund a worthwhile cause.
The donations pay off big for charities. Engage for Good’s seventh annual 2025 Charity Checkout Champions Report found 92 campaigns in the U.S. raised $275 million in 2024, with the leading campaigns run by Taco Bell, PetSmart, Walmart, Petco, and Best Buy.
However, the study from researchers at Australia’s Adelaide University — analyzing the reaction of U.S. consumers to donation requests — found many participants reporting feelings of anxiety and perceiving the requests as intrusive, largely due to both time and social pressures at checkout.
Donations at Retail Checkout: Social Pressure vs. Change for Good
“Consumers frequently felt rushed and worried about being judged by others,” said Ying Zou from the School of Marketing at Adelaide University, in a statement. Many consumers also felt the retailer had an alternative “self-interest benefit, such as seeking to improve its reputation or earning tax benefits,” rather than genuine concern for social causes.
Said Zou, “If donation requests unintentionally trigger discomfort or negative reactions, they may not only undermine the effectiveness of charitable giving but also harm customer relationships, an outcome retailers want the least.”
Among the study’s suggestions:
- Communicate clearly and transparently about how donations are collected, where the money goes, and the impact those donations make.
- Provide information about donation requests earlier in the shopping journey, such as through posters or in-store messaging, to avoid the surprise and time pressure at checkout.
- Have the request come from a tablet rather than a person to allow customers to make donation decisions more privately, reducing feelings of being watched or judged.
Previous studies have identified similar negative consumer reactions. A 2022 study from researchers led by Ohio University probing how consumers felt about being asked to donate via checkout solicitations found about 40% expressed negative feelings associated with anxiety — such as feeling “pressured,” “annoyed,” and “concerned about being judged.”
Engage for Good’s study offered several suggestions for more effective checkout donations, including focusing on “simple prompts,” such as set-dollar options ( $1, $3, $5 donation requests), or to offer bill roundups to reduce “hesitation and decision fatigue.” Shorter and more timely campaigns around causes seen as more urgent, such as mental health, hunger and disaster relief, were recommended.
With training employees cited as the top operational hurdle in donation campaigns, automated digital prompts or one-click ways to give was found to be effective. Engage for Good wrote, “The best campaigns made the act of giving feel like a natural part of the purchase experience, not an interruption.”
BrainTrust
Perry Kramer
Managing Partner, Retail Consulting Partners
John Lietsch
CEO/Founder, Align Business Consulting
Bob Amster
Principal, Retail Technology Group
Recent Discussions
Discussion Questions
Do you see donation requests at checkout as more of a positive or negative to the in-store shopping experience?
What suggestions would you have to reduce the anxiety or annoyance some shoppers feel about being asked to give?
Poll
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Checkout donation requests likely persist because, quite simply, they work — they generate meaningful funds for important causes and give retailers an easy way to align with community impact. That said, from a shopper’s perspective, the sheer volume of requests across multiple retailers in any given week or month can start to blur together and feel overdone. What may begin as a positive, purpose-driven interaction can turn into decision fatigue, especially when consumers feel pressured to respond quickly during a transaction. The intention is admirable, but the cumulative effect across the retail landscape risks creating annoyance rather than goodwill.
Retailers can reduce that friction by rethinking how and when they ask. Transparency goes a long way — clearly communicating where the money goes, how it helps, and how customers can opt in outside the pressure of the checkout line can make the experience feel more authentic. Rotating less frequently, offering digital follow-ups through loyalty apps, or allowing shoppers to set recurring preferences rather than being prompted on every visit could help reduce anxiety while still supporting fundraising goals. Another approach is to shift some requests earlier in the journey—through signage, storytelling, or pre-checkout engagement—so the moment at the register doesn’t feel like an unexpected interruption.
Ultimately, donation campaigns can remain a positive part of retail culture, but the industry needs to recognize that frequency matters as much as intent. When every purchase comes with a request, the emotional impact diminishes, and shoppers tune it out. A more thoughtful cadence — combined with clearer storytelling and greater flexibility — can preserve the good these programs do while making the experience feel less like background noise and more like a meaningful opportunity to contribute.
The best approach I have seen is at John Lewis over the holiday period. They had trees with gift cards by the registers. If you want to donate, you can pick the appropriate card off the tree and have it scanned at the register to make a donation. This was supported by signage. Some US retailers have similar Angel or Giving Trees where people can select things to buy for charities of those in need. It is a non-intrusive and rather fun way to donate.
Donations are both a great responsibility and a privilege in serving the community. To reduce anxiety, it requires structure and clarity for customers, those doing the ask, and for employees. Are we supporting many different things or just a few for greater impact? Which ones best reflect our culture and mission? Do organizations know your criteria?
One of the best programs I’ve seen was administered by Oregon grocer New Seasons Market. Every customer received a valued token after checkout in which they could then place into one of three clear bins for a specific cause or organization. Customers created their support in this way so the stores and employees don’t have to manage daily pressures.
If the number of checkers that skip that step for me is any indication then it’s a negative. In other words, I’m not often given the opportunity to donate; checkers are often turning the touchpad around or reaching over and skipping that step for me.
Regardless, I find the experience to be largely negative because I feel pressured and judged and I don’t like feeling that way especially considering that I donate to several charities (without any pressure, anxiety or judgment).
Maybe the answer is as Neil and Scott suggest. Or maybe they should reduce the options to two: $1 (or some small amount) AND choose your own. Whatever they do, please keep the Boy and Girl Scouts out front. I can’t buy enough popcorn or cookies!
Defintiely a negative…but no bigger than the other 18 times this has been discussed.
Wow, What a challenge retailers have in balancing Social responsibility through donations to charities with Improving the customer experience while being able to pay associates by protecting their bottom line. The reality is that no customer decides to go shopping at XYZ retail because they are accepting donations at Checkout unless it is a school fund raiser.
The best compromise is to sign and socialize the Donation gathering campaign well, Build pride by displaying the target and the amount gathered, while communicating a clear start and end date.
Additionally, on the payment device bring up a simple 5 option form, (Round up, $1, $5, Next time, OPT out) at the begging of the transaction, right after capturing Phone # or other identifier, so it does not slow down the checkout. Also what a novel concept it would be to let loyal customers who you have in your CDP opt out so they only get the prompt once a year.
I am ambivalent. (Is that allowed on this forum?) To me, these pop-ups are nothing but annoying. Typically, if I want to donate to any cause, I do so unilaterally. Some people may need prodding before they donate, in which case, this is an effective way to receive those donations. There are valid arguments for both sides.
The less the checker says the better. The donation screen just pops up. The checkers silence is an absence of any pressure to participate. But I usually do. It’s a couple of bucks at either the grocery store or the pet store. And it’s not every check out. They seem to randomize it. And if by the end of the year I have given a couple hundred bucks to food banks and pet charities, then it was a painless way to participate.
“The less the checker says, the better.” Therefore, the growth of self-checkout.
I don’t mind it. Sometimes I give, sometimes I don’t, depending on whether or not the cause resonates.
I am OK with it. Just don’t talk to me about it. I actually feel bad for the checker.
This also applies to associates who are told to push store branded credit cards. It’s incredibly annoying and I feel for them!
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Checkout donation requests likely persist because, quite simply, they work — they generate meaningful funds for important causes and give retailers an easy way to align with community impact. That said, from a shopper’s perspective, the sheer volume of requests across multiple retailers in any given week or month can start to blur together and feel overdone. What may begin as a positive, purpose-driven interaction can turn into decision fatigue, especially when consumers feel pressured to respond quickly during a transaction. The intention is admirable, but the cumulative effect across the retail landscape risks creating annoyance rather than goodwill.
Retailers can reduce that friction by rethinking how and when they ask. Transparency goes a long way — clearly communicating where the money goes, how it helps, and how customers can opt in outside the pressure of the checkout line can make the experience feel more authentic. Rotating less frequently, offering digital follow-ups through loyalty apps, or allowing shoppers to set recurring preferences rather than being prompted on every visit could help reduce anxiety while still supporting fundraising goals. Another approach is to shift some requests earlier in the journey—through signage, storytelling, or pre-checkout engagement—so the moment at the register doesn’t feel like an unexpected interruption.
Ultimately, donation campaigns can remain a positive part of retail culture, but the industry needs to recognize that frequency matters as much as intent. When every purchase comes with a request, the emotional impact diminishes, and shoppers tune it out. A more thoughtful cadence — combined with clearer storytelling and greater flexibility — can preserve the good these programs do while making the experience feel less like background noise and more like a meaningful opportunity to contribute.
The best approach I have seen is at John Lewis over the holiday period. They had trees with gift cards by the registers. If you want to donate, you can pick the appropriate card off the tree and have it scanned at the register to make a donation. This was supported by signage. Some US retailers have similar Angel or Giving Trees where people can select things to buy for charities of those in need. It is a non-intrusive and rather fun way to donate.
Donations are both a great responsibility and a privilege in serving the community. To reduce anxiety, it requires structure and clarity for customers, those doing the ask, and for employees. Are we supporting many different things or just a few for greater impact? Which ones best reflect our culture and mission? Do organizations know your criteria?
One of the best programs I’ve seen was administered by Oregon grocer New Seasons Market. Every customer received a valued token after checkout in which they could then place into one of three clear bins for a specific cause or organization. Customers created their support in this way so the stores and employees don’t have to manage daily pressures.
If the number of checkers that skip that step for me is any indication then it’s a negative. In other words, I’m not often given the opportunity to donate; checkers are often turning the touchpad around or reaching over and skipping that step for me.
Regardless, I find the experience to be largely negative because I feel pressured and judged and I don’t like feeling that way especially considering that I donate to several charities (without any pressure, anxiety or judgment).
Maybe the answer is as Neil and Scott suggest. Or maybe they should reduce the options to two: $1 (or some small amount) AND choose your own. Whatever they do, please keep the Boy and Girl Scouts out front. I can’t buy enough popcorn or cookies!
Defintiely a negative…but no bigger than the other 18 times this has been discussed.
Wow, What a challenge retailers have in balancing Social responsibility through donations to charities with Improving the customer experience while being able to pay associates by protecting their bottom line. The reality is that no customer decides to go shopping at XYZ retail because they are accepting donations at Checkout unless it is a school fund raiser.
The best compromise is to sign and socialize the Donation gathering campaign well, Build pride by displaying the target and the amount gathered, while communicating a clear start and end date.
Additionally, on the payment device bring up a simple 5 option form, (Round up, $1, $5, Next time, OPT out) at the begging of the transaction, right after capturing Phone # or other identifier, so it does not slow down the checkout. Also what a novel concept it would be to let loyal customers who you have in your CDP opt out so they only get the prompt once a year.
I am ambivalent. (Is that allowed on this forum?) To me, these pop-ups are nothing but annoying. Typically, if I want to donate to any cause, I do so unilaterally. Some people may need prodding before they donate, in which case, this is an effective way to receive those donations. There are valid arguments for both sides.
The less the checker says the better. The donation screen just pops up. The checkers silence is an absence of any pressure to participate. But I usually do. It’s a couple of bucks at either the grocery store or the pet store. And it’s not every check out. They seem to randomize it. And if by the end of the year I have given a couple hundred bucks to food banks and pet charities, then it was a painless way to participate.
“The less the checker says, the better.” Therefore, the growth of self-checkout.
I don’t mind it. Sometimes I give, sometimes I don’t, depending on whether or not the cause resonates.
I am OK with it. Just don’t talk to me about it. I actually feel bad for the checker.
This also applies to associates who are told to push store branded credit cards. It’s incredibly annoying and I feel for them!