Websites Can Now Accept Donations in Crypto with Request Network’s Request Donations

Request Network has announced a new feature called Request Donations, which lets websites accept donations in cryptocurrency. The feature was developed largely by well-known Request community member ADMReq, who previously created a Request plugin for Shopify called Reqify.

Request Donations is here 🙌! Created in collaboration with @AdmREQ, you can now accept cryptocurrency donations on your website in minutes. Try it out now: https://t.co/7kwp1Dzl3e@MakerDAO @omise_go @DigixGlobal @KyberNetwork @ethereum — Request Network (@RequestNetwork) September 14, 2018

The benefits of accepting donations in cryptocurrency, as is the case with most crypto transactions, are the absence of third parties, which means lower transaction costs (less than 0.1%), and the near-instantaneous transfer of money.

Installation of the feature is straightforward. Websites simply have to embed the script into their website, which automatically causes a donate button to be displayed.

Receivers of donations can then select the specific currency in which they’d like to be payed. Currently, their options are ETH (Ethereum), REQ (Request Network), DAI (Dai token), OMG (OmiseGO), KNC (Kyber Network), and DGX (Digix). When adding the script in, it is possible to filter out cryptocurrencies that aren’t desired and cap the maximum donation amount.

These are the cryptocurrencies that the Request platform currently works with, but the team is planning to support more in the near future.

AdmREQ has created a short video to demonstrate the feature in action, while another Request Network admirer has written up a tutorial on how to accept donations on SquareSpace. As Request Donations is simply a script that needs to be added to the source code, the donate button can work on any page and any website.

One website, Needslist, has already integrated the feature, opting for the Dai stablecoin.

Attracted by its simple installation process and quick operation, Needslist hopes that, in choosing Request Donations, the campaigns it sets up for disaster-stricken areas and refugees will receive donations more quickly and cheaply. The organization has previously partnered with cryptocurrency payment system Project BiFrost to build rapid and effective responses to humanitarian crises.

While negligible transaction costs and near-instantaneous payments are advantages, perhaps the real benefit is that the whole donation-in-crypto process is now virtually seamless, with such donations involving just a few clicks.

The team has spent the past few months revamping its roadmap and working on marketing. In the future, users can expect the introduction of features such as expanded cryptocurrency support, fiat currency support, a crowdfunding dapp, continuous payments, and the launch of an Internet of Things framework.

The Request project went live in late March 2018, but has experienced some delays in development. However, secondary improvements like this show that the team is focused on delivering practical use cases for Request while they complete their primary objectives.

Related: Request Network: Roadmap and What 2018 Holds