The high rate of people choosing cashless payment methods has prompted the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service to move to a tap and go donation collection method.

The service is seeking donations to help pay for its club rebuild - and less small change in people's pockets means less funding.

Traditionally, small change donations have been collected using collection buckets, but the club will now be using tap and go technology.

The service has been providing lifeguarding services for almost 90 years and is now four months into its club rebuild after the former building was demolished because of weather-tightness issues and increasing maintenance costs.

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Another $525,000 is needed to complete the club build.

Fundraising and engagement manager Dominique Paduch said collecting small change had become less effective due to the shift towards card payments and a reduction in the use of cash.

"As with the new club build, we must also move with the times in the way we collect donations."

Paduch said the club would be using a Quest Donation Point Tap acceptor, which would eliminate the need to collect and count cash from tins, reduces risk of theft and reduces the effort placed on the clubs many volunteers.

"We ask a lot of our members and our lifeguards who are all volunteers and this system saves time and reduces the cost of physically collecting cash," Paduch said.

Donation Point Tap uses a pre-set donation amount, in this case $3, and uses contactless card payment acceptance.

Donations can also be made at www.mountlifeguards.co.nz/donate/ or outside the service's temporary office.

Donation Point Tap donation points can be found at:

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service temporary office outside the building site
Sidetrack Café
Hide – Thirst and Hunger
Brew Co.
Latitude 37
Action Sports