The Mobile Money Network (MMN)– the company behind the Simply Tap mobile payment solution – has teamed up with electronic charity donations company Pennies. The MMN will enable consumers to make micro-donations when they shop using their mobile phones at its retail partners.

Consumers will be able to donate using MMNs new Simply Tap mobile application with an extra tap at checkout. This means retailers are now able to support Pennies in-store, online, and by mobile payment channels. 

Pennies has received 1m micro-donations in just 12 months, raising more than £250,000 from the publics spare change for more than 20 UK charities. Retail partners, including Dominos Pizza, Travelodge, Zizzi, The Entertainer and the Rugby Football Union, have already signed up to Pennies, allowing customers to give quickly, securely, and privately. 

The Simply Tap payment solution is a new service that requires a one-off registration and the installation of an app on the consumers phone. Customers can then use the Simply Tap instant checkout service on their mobile phones to order products they see anywhere by tapping a code into their mobile phone. the system launched earlier this month and the list of retailers signed up includes Thorntons, Goldsmiths, and Carphone Warehouse.

John Milliken, MD of Mobile Money Network, says: “We are dedicated to bringing together the best and most innovative businesses in the mobile, media, and retail spaces. We know that shoppers are turning to mobile more and more and ease of use is central to any mobile proposition. Pennies fits perfectly with our networks promise. The ease of making micro-donations via a mobile platform such as Simply Tap makes sense for consumers looking to donate to charities and retailers looking to facilitate this.”

Alison Hutchinson, CEO of The Pennies Foundation, says: “Pennies has collected over a million donations in just a year, through five retail partners so far, supporting over 20 charities. We are so excited that MMNs Simply Tap is getting behind Pennies to give UK consumers the option to donate spare change via their mobile phones. Were looking forward to other mobile technology organisations following Simply Taps lead to help make 2012 a real turning point for electronic micro-donations.”