The BBC is celebrating 25 years of the annual Children in Need telethon fundraising appeal and satellite viewers are once again able to make a credit card donation directly using their remote control.
An overlay application prompts viewers to select a donation amount from £5 to £1000, enter their credit card details, name, address and postcode, and optionally a phone number. There is also an opportunity to reclaim tax on the donation. The set-top box returns the data in telephone call that costs 25 pence and takes around thirty seconds.
Terrestrial and cable viewers will be given information on other methods of donation.
Last year the registered charity event raised £30m and hopes to beat that figure again this year. In total it has raised over £350m for disadvantaged children.
Just under half a million pounds was raised through interactive television when this method was first offered in 2001 and no doubt the organisers will be expecting a significant increase this year.