Press Release 20th May 2025

Doing good together - ‘Round up, please.’ initiative exceeds the two million euro mark

The ‘Aufrunder bewirken Wunder’ donation initiative launched by Caritas and REWE Group (BILLA, PENNY, BIPA) has exceeded the impressive mark of 2 million euros in total donations and once again recorded a significant increase in rounding up last year. Every cent rounded up goes directly to aid projects for people in need in Austria, including mother and child homes, families in need and organisations for elderly people in need of care.

Three people are standing together indoors holding a large donation check for €2,000,000, with the text "Für Menschen in Not." The check features logos and a plant is visible in the background.

(from left to right) Klaus Schwertner (Caritas Director Vienna), Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler (Caritas Austria President) and Marcel Haraszti (CEO REWE International AG) / Copyright: © Robert Harson, Reproduction for PR purposes free of charge

Download

At a glance

Since 2013, Caritas and REWE Group have been supporting people in need in Austria with the ‘Aufrunder bewirken Wunder’ initiative.
In the past 12 years, more than 34 million rounds have been made at Austrian checkouts for a good cause - and over 2 million euros have already been donated.
The donations benefit those who are in urgent need of support - be it through medical aid, food or the assumption of energy and rental costs.
It's easy to donate: simply add the note ‘Round up, please’ directly at the checkouts in all BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY and BIPA shops.
jö Bonus Club members can set a permanent ‘round up’ in the app and make regular donations.

Direct help for people in need

The ‘Aufrunder bewirken Wunder’ initiative offers an uncomplicated way to actively do good. Every cent counts and together we have already raised over 2 million euros since the project was launched in 2013 to help people in difficult life situations.

"The fact that we have already exceeded the 2 million euro mark together with our customers is a great milestone and shows the enormous impact of solidarity and small gestures. We are proud of how this initiative has developed over the years and how many people have received support as a result," explains Marcel Haraszti, Member of the Management Board of REWE International AG. "As REWE Group, we are committed to social projects in the long term. This initiative shows that even small amounts can have a big impact. Thanks to our customers, we can support elderly people in need of care as well as mothers and children in need," says Haraszti.

Caritas also emphasises the special significance of the initiative: "This project impressively demonstrates that many small donations can achieve great things. The support we receive through these donations makes a significant difference for many people who urgently need help," says Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler, President of Caritas Austria.

Helping together: Every cent counts

How it works: Customers of BILLA, BILLA PLUS, PENNY and BIPA can round their purchase amount up to the next full 10 cents directly at the checkout (e.g. 14.63 euros to 14.70 euros). The difference will be donated in full to Caritas and will be used where it is most urgently needed - for example for food, medical aid or to provide financial support for people who can no longer afford their rent or energy costs.

From 1 to 31 December 2024, BILLA and BILLA PLUS supported the Funken Wärme initiative to help people in need. In addition, all ‘Round up, please.’ donations from September to December went to Österreich hilft Österreich to support flood victims.

The donations collected also went to the following causes:

BILLA & BILLA PLUS: to families in need and to learning cafés for children from socially disadvantaged families
BIPA: Help for mothers and children in need in Austria
PENNY: Support for elderly people in need in Austria
BILLA Spendenpakete: Contribution to hunger relief

The donation works either by simply asking ‘Round up, please’ during the payment process or by setting a permanent ‘round-up’ in the jö Bonus app. You can register for this at www.joe-club.at or directly in the app.