Ten life-size replicas of well-known television comedians have been deployed in major cities throughout the UK, and incorporated in each is a Spire Payments card payment terminal, modified to accept £1 contactless donations. Members of the public are able to take a selfie with their favourite celebrity and in return they simply tap their contactless card on the pocket of the statue. £1 is instantly credited to the Comic Relief fund thanks to seamless GPRS connectivity. Click here to see the technology in action.

“We are delighted to be part of Comic Relief’s fundraising activities which has been made possible by the NFC and contactless capabilities of our new SP range of POS products. The project not only demonstrates Spire Payments’ ability to rapidly develop customer specific payment solutions, but also our commitment to meet demands for the latest technologies from our international customer base,” said Nick Parsons, Managing Director, Spire Payments Northern Europe.

Comic Relief, a major charity based in the UK has a vision of a world free from poverty. Established in 1985, the charity has raised a staggering £950 million to assist charities in both the UK and Africa. The most significant fundraising event is Red Nose Day, a bi-annual event where people and companies across the UK undertake fundraising activities.

Spire Payments was selected to deliver the contactless and mobile technology required to make this innovative project feasible. Utilising its GPRS-enabled payment terminal, the SPw70, a bespoke application was scoped, developed and certified in a matter of weeks thanks to secure yet flexible terminal architecture. To ensure the comedians aren’t slacking and continue to accept donations, Spire Payments is also providing a statue support line, thanks to its award-winning merchant help desk.

The global demand for NFC and contactless card acceptance is increasing exponentially and a growing number of markets are mandating the support of this new technology with any new POS deployment. Spire Payments’ latest range of ground-breaking payment solutions - the ‘SP’ family - supports this functionality as standard and encompasses all payment environments: countertop, mobile, multi-lane, and unattended.