Just one third of people said they were comfortable with donating money online, with fewer happy to donate by mobile devices, according to a survey by Zurich Insurance about the importance of protecting data.

More than half the 2,000 people questioned said they preferred to donate in person or over the phone, while only 25 per cent were comfortable with donating using a mobile device.

Younger donors were more likely to donate online, with almost 60 per cent saying that they were happy to do so and just over half willing to give via mobiles.

Traditional methods of giving were most popular in the survey. Some 56 per cent of those questioned said they preferred to give face to face or over the phone.

The survey also found that the loss of donor data by charities had a significant effect on trust, with 68 per cent saying this would discourage them from donating online or via mobile in the future.

Amy Brettell, head of charities and social organisations at Zurich, said: “Whilst traditional methods of donation still dominate, more and more people are now donating online and via mobile. However, public trust in these services is dangerously low.

“Charities must therefore not only do more to keep data safe, but they need to convince the public of their ability to do so. Although mobile wallets and text-to-donate are becoming more commonplace, charities need to demonstrate real digital risk management or may face losing donations.”

The findings differ from the results of a survey published last week by online shopping scheme Give as you Live, which found that 61 per cent of Britons have actually donated online and over 30 per cent have donated by text.