Mr. Cake & Adyen
How Mr. Cake uses checkout donations to drive customer loyalty and impact
Learn how this bakery and café brand uses Adyen Giving to support UNHCR and build stronger customer connections.
Pastry chef Roy Fares was born in Lebanon in the 1970s. When he was six, he was forced to flee, taking refuge in Sweden.
Fast forward to today and his business Mr. Cake has grown from a single Stockholm café to four locations across the country.
He's become a household name in Sweden known for his imaginative baking, passion for pastries, and commitment to social responsibility.
In 2024, Mr. Cake began using Adyen’s platform—but not just to process payments.
As it integrated Adyen's payments solution, it added donations into its checkout flow. Roy aspired to fundraise for a cause close to him: refugees, through the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The challenge
As a refugee himself, Roy has a deep personal connection to helping displaced people.
When asked to become an ambassador for Sweden for UNHCR, he was eager to help, and once Adyen became his payments partner he discovered how easy implementing Giving would be at checkout. It was "a no-brainer."
Like many nonprofits across the globe, UNHCR has faced challenges in collecting donations due to changing consumer behaviour.
This is where Giving comes in, offering a simple way to connect Mr. Cake customers with a cause that matters.
"If refugees are given a small window of opportunity, many will turn it into a lifetime of achievements. Roy is a classic example of this. Roy has used his own achievements as a way to help those in need. Thanks to him, families forced to flee, in Lebanon, and in many other countries, can get help and secure a brighter future."
Amelie Häger
Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager - Sweden, UNHCR
The solution
With Giving, Mr. Cake easily added a donation option at checkout without the need for additional integrations or infrastructure.
Mr. Cake opted for two fixed donation amounts: 10 or 15 Swedish krona. Customers are prompted to donate after they pay, creating a seamless process.
"It means a lot to me to support a cause that's so personal," says Roy.
Through this initiative, all donations go directly to UNHCR, with Adyen handling the transaction fees, ensuring that every penny donated helps those in need.
The initiative has seen a 9% participation rate with customers (higher than the industry average) showing how much it resonates with the community.
“We're thrilled that Mr. Cake is giving its customers the opportunity to support UNHCR’s vital mission in protecting those forced to flee their homes.”
Amelie Häger
Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager - Sweden, UNHCR
The impact
Since launching, Mr. Cake has raised over €13,000—contributing to the UNHCR’s mission of providing shelter, food, and medicine to refugees.
This figure has been matched by Adyen, meaning that in under a year, over €26,000 has been raised for the cause.
For Roy and his team, the campaign has not only provided much-needed financial support for refugees but also created a stronger connection with their customers.
The ease of the donation process and the clear cause behind it have resonated with patrons, reinforcing Mr. Cake’s commitment to helping others, both locally and globally.
"As a marketer, it’s crucial to connect authentically with your audience. The partnership with Mr. Cake is a great example of how businesses can use their platform to support meaningful causes, while also enhancing the customer experience," says Katarina Nordin, Global Head of Marketing at Adyen.
Through the simplicity of a payment transaction, Mr. Cake shows how businesses of all sizes can play a role in making the world a better place.
Your business can activate Adyen Giving within minutes. Learn how to get started in this guide.