The 2012 Election season is about to go high tech: the swarms of cheery interns and fervent volunteers canvassing every neighborhood from sea to shining sea this year will now be able to get your monetary support with the simple swipe of a credit card.
Intuit, Inc. recently announced that their popular GoPayment mobile credit card payment system has been revamped to accommodate political fundraising, which means dumping money into the nearest super-pac just got easier.
Fundraisers will now be able to use the free mobile credit card app and card reader hardware when soliciting donations, making it simple to process credit card transactions while canvassing or otherwise getting the good word out.
According to MarketWatch, GoPayment is one of the first viable, ready-to-go mobile payment programs available to campaigns. The app has been retrofitted to collect the donor information needed to be compliant with campaign finance laws. It also protects the donor’s information with the latest encryption technology. The campaign can then follow up with a text or email receipt, complete with their logo and even a map of where the transaction took place.
Things to Know Before You Swipe for Your Favorite Candidate
Republican, Democrat, Green or Tea Party, you should always make sure you really know who you’re donating to and where your money is going. The Federal Trade Commission offers these tips for those looking to make a charity donation, but we think the same common sense rules apply to political donations, too:
1. Ask for written information about the party or candidate, including the name, address, and telephone number of fundraising headquarters.
2. If you’re not sure, call the campaign office. Make sure they’re aware of the solicitation and have authorized it.
3. Watch out for similar sounding names. Some phony fundraisers may use names that closely resemble those of respected, legitimate organizations.
And one last tip that may surprise you: the FTC recommends NOT giving a cash donation. Cash is easily lost or stolen, and virtually untrackable if something does go wrong. So give a check, swipe your credit card, or thank the solicitor and promise to make a secure donation to the campaign online.
SOURCES:
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gopayment-hits-the-campaign-trail-2012-03-19
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/telemarketing/tel01.shtm
PHOTO CREDIT:
http://intuit-gopayment.com/free/how-it-works-138QY-2429BA.html
