re: Did anybody else else seem to think there were less Salvation Army bellringers this year?

They have been taking electronic donations at some kettles for a year or two. The avg cash donation was $2 vs $14 for electronic


The kettles that take credit don’t look any different. But next to the metal red kettles are wireless card readers that resemble do-it-yourself readers at gas stations. The machines print two receipts, one for the donor and one to drop in the kettle. According to the Salvation Army’s marketing director, the data obtained from testing of the new “plastic kettles” last year showed that the average per-person credit card donation snared at the kettles was $14, compared with cash donations which were only $2 a person.