GoCardless, the bank payment company, and Comic Relief, the UK charity, have extended their relationship until 2026, enabling Comic Relief to continue using GoCardless for Direct Debit to easily collect recurring donations all year round.

This will enable Comic Relief, which started working with GoCardless in 2019, to take more donations outside of its yearly Red Nose Day fundraising campaign, giving people an easier way to support the causes that matter to them.

The announcement comes as research from GoCardless revealed that Brits still want to donate despite the ongoing cost of living crisis, with 37% of people saying they will continue to give to charity even if their finances are squeezed. 52% also indicate they would give to a charity again if donations are fast and easy.

Georgina Persson, Executive Director of Operations, Comic Relief, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue working with GoCardless to ensure making online donations to Comic Relief is as simple and seamless as possible for our generous supporters. We look forward to seeing how we can keep building on this success over the next few years as we look to grow our fundraising activities all year round.”

Pat Phelan, Managing Director of UK & Ireland and Chief Customer Officer at GoCardless, said: “We know that recurring donations are better when financial pressures increase – giving little, but often, goes a long way. For charities, implementing Direct Debit greatly improves flexibility for donors, leading to an increase in the overall donations that they receive. We’re proud to extend this long-standing relationship and power payments for good.”