Giving through GiveGiftAid

GiveGiftAid hands you to GoCardless, a regulated payments company, and your bank. A one-off donation is an instant bank payment: you approve it in your banking app and it leaves your account straight away. If you also set up regular giving, you approve a Direct Debit at the same time.

You never enter your online banking password on GiveGiftAid, and GiveGiftAid never sees it.

GoCardless collects the payment on the charity's behalf, so your statement may show GoCardless alongside the charity's name. The money goes to the charity's own GoCardless account.

Contact the charity first if you can. They can change the amount, pause it or cancel it for you.

You can also cancel any Direct Debit yourself at any time through your bank or banking app. Let the charity know too, so they can update their records.

Every Direct Debit in the UK is protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee. In short:

• You'll be told in advance if the amount, date or frequency changes.
• If a payment is taken in error, your bank will refund it in full straight away.
• You can cancel at any time by contacting your bank.

Read the full guarantee on the official Direct Debit website.

If you pay UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax, Gift Aid lets the charity claim an extra 25p from HMRC for every £1 you give, at no cost to you. You need to have paid at least as much tax in the year as all the charities you support will claim.

Tick Gift Aid on the donation form only if that applies to you. Tell the charity if you stop paying enough tax, change your name or move house.

Contact the charity you donated to. Refunds are made by the charity through GoCardless. For a Direct Debit taken in error, you can also ask your bank under the Direct Debit Guarantee.

Your name, email and any Gift Aid details go to the charity you support so they can process your donation and claim Gift Aid. Your bank details stay with GoCardless and your bank. See our privacy notice for more.

Some charities use a Sandbox testing page while they set up. These pages are clearly labelled and no real money moves. If you see a Sandbox label, you're looking at a test page.