The moment does the asking.
A curtain-call appeal lands when the room is already moved. A disc on the seatback lets a patron act on the feeling while it is still there, from their seat, before the house lights are fully up.
For theaters and performing arts organizations
Tap-to-give discs for theaters
Your patrons feel the most generous at the curtain call, not in a lobby line ten minutes later. Put the ask where they are sitting. A patron taps the disc on the seat in front of them, your donation page opens on their phone, and they give before the moment passes.
No cash, no card reader, no lineNo app and no account for the patronOpens the donation page you already use
See your own disc and price on the next page. No charge until checkout.
Tap-to-give discs for theaters are custom NFC discs mounted on seatbacks, lobby walls, and counters. A patron holds their phone against a disc and the theater's existing donation page opens in the browser, with no app, no cash, and no waiting in line. Discs cost $5.00 each for 100 to 199, $4.00 for 200 to 399, and $3.50 for 400 or more, one time, with no monthly fees, and the theater can change where taps land at any time in the free Redirect Dashboard.
Key facts
- One tap from the patron's seat, takes seconds
- Works in a dark auditorium, no camera or aiming needed
- QR code printed on every disc as the backup path
- Free Redirect Dashboard: change the destination anytime, instantly
- Minimum order 100 discs, free shipping worldwide
- 30-day money-back guarantee
How can a theater collect donations when nobody carries cash?
Tap-to-give puts the donation page at the seat, so patrons can give without cash, a line, or an app. Discs cost $5.00 each at 100 to 199, $4.00 at 200 to 399, and $3.50 at 400 or more, with a 100-disc minimum and an estimated 2 to 3 weeks from artwork approval.
Nothing to carry, nothing to type.
Patrons do not carry cash anymore, and nobody wants to type a long giving URL from a printed program into a phone in the dark. A tap needs no cash, no wallet, no typing, no searching, and no app download. The phone they are already holding does the whole job.
Intermission stays intermission.
Intermission is fifteen to twenty minutes of restrooms, concessions, and conversation. A donation table competes for the same minutes and usually loses. A tap takes seconds, from the seat, before the show, at intermission, or on the way out, without leaving the row.
It works in the dark.
QR codes need light, a camera, and a steady aim, three things an auditorium is short on. A tap works by touch. The patron holds the phone to the disc, the page opens, and the printed QR is still there on the disc for the few phones that cannot tap.
NFC donations for theaters: three steps, none of them new for your patrons
- 1. The patron taps their phone on the disc. The NFC chip inside hands the phone a web address.
- 2. Your donation page opens in their browser. It is the page you already use, on the platform you already use.
- 3. They give there, the way they already give online. Tap.Giving is hardware only, never a payment processor, and takes nothing from the gift.
Every iPhone since the XS (2018) taps automatically with no app; iPhone 7, 8, and X scan through the reader; Android phones from 2015 onward work. Any phone that cannot tap can scan the QR printed on the same disc.
Where do theaters put the discs?
Theater discs go on seatbacks, lobby walls, box office counters, and event tables. Most theaters order one per seat plus a handful for the lobby and box office; the minimum is 100 discs, pricing starts at $5.00 each, and typical turnaround is about 2 to 3 weeks from artwork approval.
Most theaters order one disc per seat, plus a handful for the lobby and box office.
- Seatbacks (the main placement). One disc on the back of the seat in front, at seated eye level, one per seat, the same mounting used on pew backs. Adhesive backing is standard on every disc; for upholstered seats, choose the free pre-drilled screw-hole option at order time.
- Lobby walls and doorways. By the doors patrons pass on the way in and out, where a season appeal or capital campaign can reach everyone, including balcony and standing patrons without a seatback disc.
- Box office and will-call. Table stands (the freestanding version of the same disc, from $7) on the counter for memberships, season tickets, and donations at the moment of purchase. See table stands.
- Galas and event tables. Stands on gala, opening-night, and fundraiser tables, pointed at the event's own campaign page for the night, then pointed back the next morning.
Built for every kind of house
Community theaters and regional theaters. Performing arts centers. School and university theaters. Dinner theaters. Any venue where an audience sits down, feels something, and is gone in ten minutes, including orchestras and concert halls with the same seatback and lobby layout. If your patrons have phones and your organization has a donation page, the discs fit.
How contactless giving for theaters works through every season
Every disc is encoded with a Tap.Giving redirect address, and the destination lives in the free Redirect Dashboard, not on the disc. Change it in seconds and every disc in the house follows instantly, with no reprinting and no cap on changes:
- Regular season: your main donation page
- Opening night or a special appeal: that campaign's page
- Gala night: the event campaign, then back the next morning
- Education and outreach: the program's support page
- Between campaigns: season tickets or memberships page
The dashboard is free on every order, at any quantity, permanently.
What do they cost, and why is there no monthly fee?
Discs cost $5.00 each for 100 to 199, $4.00 for 200 to 399, and $3.50 for 400 or more; the minimum order is 100, and turnaround is about 2 to 3 weeks from artwork approval as an estimate.
Discs are printed hardware, bought once, so there is nothing to subscribe to.
- 100 to 199 discs: $5.00 each
- 200 to 399 discs: $4.00 each
- 400 or more: $3.50 each
Minimum order 100. No setup fees, no monthly fees, no per-gift fees. Free design proof of your theater's disc before production. Free shipping worldwide. Typical turnaround is about 2 to 3 weeks from artwork approval (an estimate, never a promise). 30-day money-back guarantee.
Theater fundraising technology that lets patrons donate from your seat
Tap to donate for theaters gives patrons an in-room option they can use without interrupting the show.
Frequently asked questions
Do patrons need an app to tap?
No. Modern phones read the disc automatically and offer to open your donation page. There is nothing to download and no account to create.
What if a patron's phone cannot tap?
Every disc also carries a printed QR code to the same page, so any phone with a camera has a path. The tap is the fast path, the QR is the backup.
Does Tap.Giving take a cut of donations?
No. Tap.Giving sells hardware only and is never in the payment path. Donations happen on the donation platform you already use, under your existing arrangement with them.
Will the discs work on our upholstered seats?
Yes. Every disc has adhesive backing, and you can choose free pre-drilled screw holes when you order, which is the recommended mount for fabric and upholstered seatbacks. Screws are not included; theaters use their own.
Can we change where the discs point during the season?
Yes, anytime. The Redirect Dashboard is free with every order, changes take effect instantly on every disc, and there is no limit on how often you change it. Run a gala campaign on Friday and point back to your main donation page on Saturday.
How many discs does a theater need?
Most order one per seat, plus extras for the lobby walls and the box office. The minimum order is 100 discs.
How long until our discs arrive?
Typically about 2 to 3 weeks from artwork approval. That is an estimate, not a guaranteed date.
What do the discs look like?
Your design, printed edge to edge on a 100 mm (4 inch) round, matte PVC disc, 0.85 mm thick, with a free proof to approve before anything is printed.
See your theater's disc in about a minute
Start with your logo and colors and we will show you a proof of your disc before you commit to anything.
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