Cash-strapped charities are missing a trick when it comes to mobile, with many missing the “impulse donation” opportunity through their lack of a mobile touchpoint and payments.

Only 20% of Australia’s most prominent charities have a mobile optimised website and 66% of those do not allow mobile donations, a Reading Room analysis found.

Australians have few qualms when it comes to mobile payments, according to the Reading Room which pointed to the Monetate Ecommerce report which found 21% of ecommerce traffic in the first quarter of 2013 came from mobiles.

“Charities should use mobile to cater for ‘impulse donations’ – those moments when individuals feel inspired to give because of something they’ve seen, something they’ve heard or been exposed to campaign material in a different setting, a billboard perhaps,” the digital consultancy’s report said.

“People prefer to drop coins into a bucket than fill out direct debit forms – the same applies online.

“Simple mobile optimised donation forms should enable individuals to give with the minimum of fuss and entice them to sign up for updates via email or social media.”

Overall, only 16% of Australian charities offer a mobile optimised experience despite the fact that 73% of Australians own a smartphone.