Nudge tactics are coming to payroll giving, with the Charities Aid Foundation now trialling an opt-out system with its payroll giving arm.

CAF is working with Bristol University on the test to ascertain whether requiring new employees to opt-out, rather than sign-up for payroll giving will have any impact on the numbers signing up to its Give As You Earn operation.

The principle behind it is aligned with the government’s emphasis in its Giving Green Paper on small acts that can encourage giving with minimal effort from the giver, an idea borne of nudge economics theory.

Hannah Terrey, head of policy at CAF, said that evidence from other areas pointed to possible success in this trial.  "There is increasing interest from government and policymakers in how small changes can affect the way we behave inspired by examples such as the introduction of opt-out pensions in the USA where case studies have shown a rise in membership from around 20-40 per cent to around 90 per cent amongst new employees three months after they were hired," she said.