Revolut customers will now be able to donate to the Red Cross and WWF via the in-app Donations feature, which allows users to round up their card payments and donate the difference to charity. Customers can also donate by setting up a recurring payment or making one-off donations.

All donations to the Red Cross from Revolut customers will go directly to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund, which is providing water and food supplies, psychosocial support, registration services, wellbeing checks, satellite phones and more.

Donations to WWF will be directed towards the immediate response efforts that are tackling the bushfires and its impact on wildlife and communities. After the fires clear, the funds will be used to help restore homes for koalas and other wildlife, planting the first 10,000 trees urgently needed in koala habitats. This will also help to pressure governments to strengthen laws that prevent excessive tree-clearing before it’s too late.

Australia is facing one of the most dangerous and catastrophic bushfire seasons it has ever seen. While much attention has centred on worst-hit New South Wales, every state and territory has been affected. More than 1,200 homes have been destroyed, over 10 million hectares of land burnt, and it is estimated that up to 1.25 billion animals have been killed directly or indirectly by the fires.

The fires are devastating - and the crisis is still ongoing. Tens of thousands of homes in New South Wales and Victoria states are currently without power and thousands of people have been evacuated from coastal towns over the past weeks.

One hundred percent of the amount donated by Revolut customers will go to each chosen charity, with Revolut charging no fees to donate to their preferred charity. There is no minimum donation amount and the feature can be turned on and off by customers at any time.

Tom Hambrett, Global Head of Legal at Revolut, said: “The support from everyone within the team here at Revolut during this difficult time in Australia has been really appreciated and I am confident that our global community of generous customers will appreciate the opportunity to donate and support those affected by these catastrophic fires.”

Belinda Dimovski, Head of Engagement and Support at Australian Red Cross, said, “The size and scale of these fires in many parts of Australia is unprecedented. But so is the incredible wave of support we’ve seen from people and businesses around the country and overseas. The funds we raise will ensure our trained staff and volunteers can continue to be there for the long-haul, helping people take a deep breath, take stock of their losses, and slowly but surely get back on their feet. We’ll also be giving out emergency grants to help people cover essential costs as they start to rebuild. We’d like to thank Revolut and their customers for leading this incredible initiative and showing such generosity to our emergency teams and the people we help.”

Paul De Ornellas, Chief Wildlife Adviser at WWF, said: “Australia is burning, and the scale of the crisis has been described as unprecedented. Human lives and homes have been lost, and wildlife is suffering too. More than one billion mammals, birds and reptiles are estimated to have been affected, including an estimated 30% of the entire koala population in this area. Once the fires clear, we will need to work to restore what has been lost.

While climate change does not cause bushfires, it does make them worse and more likely.The intensive heatwaves and extreme droughts of the past year have fanned the flames creating this state of emergency. We must all do our bit to protect our world from climate disaster - failure to act will make extreme events standard, with deadly consequences for people and nature.”