Global payments solution provider Checkout.com has partnered with Emirates Nature-WWF to increase sustainability in the UAE. Through this collaboration, Checkout.com’s processes donations for non-profit organisations, working in association with WWF.

Emirates Nature-WWF aids individuals and institutions to attain science-based solutions to decrease climate change and protect the seas, land, and their associated biodiversity. As Checkout.com is the official payment service provider for Emirates Nature-WWF, the company will process the donations at cost, therefore minimising the challenges that non-profit organisations face, including the large proportion of donations that go to acquirers and technology providers. Officials from Emirates Nature-WFF stated that for the past two decades, the organisation has been an affiliate in environmental conservation in the region, and the partnership with Checkout.com will help in increasing income.

Moreover, it will ensure the end individual that their donations directly contribute to the cause rather than being lost in transaction services. Digital payments in improving sustainability Digitisation allows companies to reduce their carbon footprint while increasing financial management and efficiency, and fintech and payment providers have a pivotal role in the route toward net zero. According to Medium, instant payments can produce approximately 80% less CO2, as they include fewer data stops, middlemen, and increased speed.

A study from Digital Planet from 2021 shows that cash manufacturing requires an abundance of natural resources, electricity, and fuel, and for every USD 1 produced, the cost to the environment is USD 0.26 annually per note. Through the use of virtual cards, plastic use and transporting them to customers via mail are avoided, therefore reducing the environmental costs. Mobile wallets present additional benefits, as they use a pre-existing infrastructure, including smartphones and mobile networks, further reducing the footprint of payments, as 86% of the population already owns a device.

Globally, it is expected that, by 2025, digital wallet users will surpass 4.4 billion, with the most utilised ones being Google Pay, Apple Pay, WeChat Pau, and Alipay. Moreover, both virtual cards and mobile wallets help in decreasing paper receipts, as every year, only in the US, they consume more than three million trees and nine billion gallons of water, and generate the equivalent of 450.000 cars CO2 emissions, as per the information of Climate Action. More eco-friendly initiatives come up on the market, including digital POS terminals that enable merchants to support charitable causes, enabling clients to round up their purchases with donations. Companies can implement several digital payment methods, including payment links and QR codes, and automate B2B payments, while also digitising receipts and offering digital billing and invoicing.

Using these solutions provide benefits to merchants as well, such as a reduction in expenses, improved efficiency, enhanced safety and security, and increased accessibility. .