​​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.”