The Church of England is making contactless, virtual terminal and SMS mobile payments available throughout England to make transactions easier for its congregations, according to a press release.

Through partnerships with iZettle and SumUp, the Church of England will offer cashless payment options for events including weddings, christenings, church fetes and concerts, as well as one-off donations and the booking of churches and halls.  

Over 16,000 churches, cathedrals, and religious sites will have access to portable card readers through the Church of England's Parish Buying portal through the partnerships with SumUp and iZettle. The readers will be used to take contactless payments, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as chip-and-PIN.

The Church of England said a pay-as-you-go pricing is well suited to the needs of religious institutions, and is charging only a small transaction fee when the reader is used, according to the press release.

"There is a clear need for our parishes to introduce card and contactless facilities and we are excited to make this available through parish buying," John Preston, national stewardship officer of the Church of England, said in the release. "How we pay for things is changing fast, especially for younger church goers, who no longer carry cash, and we want all generations to be able to make the most of their place of worship."