Scheme gives customers option of donating to chosen charities

Amazon is to give half a per cent of the cost of every purchase made by customers to charity via a new service.

Customers shop on the site as normal but now they can select a charity they want to donate to.

Called Amazon Smile, 10 UK charities can be selected by customers, including Scottish Women's Aid, Cancer Research UK, the British Red Cross, and the Royal British Legion.

The shopping giant will open up the scheme to all UK charities next year.

Marsha Scott, chief executive of Scottish Women’s Aid, said: "We’re grateful to Amazon Smile for giving people the opportunity to donate to us.

"All money raised through the generosity of customers will be used to deliver a Scotland with no domestic abuse, where women, young people, and children enjoy all their human rights and have equal opportunity to explore all their ambitions and aspirations.”

Alex Hyde-Smith, fundraising director at Marie Curie, said: “Marie Curie is committed to making it as easy as possible for people to support us, in ways that suit them best.

"It’s only with generous donations that we are we able to continue providing vital nursing care to people living with a terminal illness and support for their families.

"Amazon Smile offers another way people can give to Marie Curie, at no extra cost to them, and all when they are shopping online. This new way to donate will help Marie Curie reach more people living with a terminal illness, and their families.”

Doug Gurr, UK country manager for Amazon, said it was offering a simple way for customers to support good causes ahead of the busiest shopping period of the year,

He added "Over time, we hope to see similar success here as in the US, where over $62 million has been donated to over 230,000 charities since launching.”