Remembrance Sunday: how to make sure your poppy money reaches the Poppy Appeal

What's happening

Today is Remembrance Sunday, and Armistice Day follows on Wednesday 11 November. The Royal British Legion's 2026 Poppy Appeal launched on 22 October, and thousands of volunteers are out with collecting tins this week. Nearly all of them are genuine.

A small number aren't. Each year some people collect without permission or sell counterfeit poppy merchandise, such as pins, brooches and scarves, so the money never reaches the charity. The Charity Commission, the Fundraising Regulator and City of London Police have published simple checks that take seconds.

At a glance

• Check the charity by name and registration number on the Charity Commission's register. Most charities with an income of £5,000 or more a year must be registered.
• Street collectors should have a proper ID badge and a sealed, undamaged tin.
• Street and door-to-door collections generally need a licence from the local council, or the Metropolitan Police in London.
• The two-petal poppy is a registered trade mark of the Royal British Legion. In Scotland, Poppyscotland owns the four-petal design.
• Report suspected fakes to the police or through Stop! Think Fraud. Report counterfeit goods to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

How to check a collector

• ID badge. Ask to see it. A genuine volunteer won't mind.
• The tin. It should be sealed and undamaged. Loose buckets or open boxes are a warning sign.
• The materials. Leaflets and labels should show the charity's name, its registered number and a landline number. You can check these against the register.
• No pressure. The regulators' advice is: "Never feel under pressure to donate immediately." You can always give online later.

Fake poppy merchandise

The government and the Legion have warned about counterfeit poppy products sold online and at markets. The warning applies to merchandise like pins, jewellery and scarves, not paper poppies. Only the Legion's corporate partners are authorised to sell its poppy merchandise. If you're unsure, buy from the Legion's own Poppy Shop. Be wary of poppy items that are very cheap or don't mention the charity at all.

A worked example

This is an illustration. Mark wants to give £10. If he drops it in the tin of a genuine volunteer, all of it goes to the appeal. If he gives online through the charity's own website and he's a UK taxpayer, he can tick the Gift Aid box, and the charity can claim another 25% from the government, turning his £10 into £12.50.

If he instead buys a £10 "poppy pin" from an unofficial seller online, the charity may get nothing. A genuine pin bought from the Poppy Shop sends the profit to the Legion.

What to do now

1. Look for the ID badge and a sealed tin before you put money in.
2. Check a charity you don't know on the Charity Commission register. In Scotland, use the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR). In Northern Ireland, use the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
3. Buy poppy merchandise from the Poppy Shop or the Legion's official online pages.
4. Be careful with links in emails, texts and social media posts asking for donations. Go to the charity's website yourself.
5. Report anything suspicious to the police, to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or to your council's licensing team.

Questions

Is it a scam if a collector takes card payments?

Not necessarily. Many genuine collectors now use contactless readers. Apply the same checks: ID badge, the charity's name on the device, and no pressure.

Can a shop sell its own poppy badges?

Only with the Legion's permission if they use its trade-marked poppy design. If a shop says money goes to the appeal, ask how much.

Where do I complain about a fundraiser?

Complain to the charity first. If you're not happy with its answer, you can go to the Fundraising Regulator. Concerns about how a charity is run go to the Charity Commission.

Ways to save

This one isn't about saving. If you'd like to give more, giving online through the charity's own website with Gift Aid makes every £10 worth £12.50 to the appeal, at no extra cost to you.

Sources: Charity Commission: give confidently to registered charities, Charity Commission: Remembrance giving advice (archived), GOV.UK: poppy merchandise scams (archived), ITV News: 2026 Poppy Appeal launch, GOV.UK: check a charity, GOV.UK: Gift Aid