The website, which was started by Julian Assange, says this is largely because Visa, MasterCard and PayPal have refused for more than 10 months to process donations made on its behalf.

The total financial cost of what WikiLeaks calls a blockade is uncertain but the lack of resources, mixed with the turmoil that has surrounded the organisation, has kept the website from accepting new documents from would-be leakers for much of the year, a spokesman says.

WikiLeaks said on its Twitter feed on Thursday it would announce a new fund-raising effort tomorrow, but how successful that can be without a lifting of the credit card barrier is unknown. More than 90 per cent of online transactions are with cards.

It means donors wishing to contribute to WikiLeaks must now send money to two European bank accounts, a process more cumbersome and expensive than using cards.

An online auction of WikiLeaks memorabilia last month raised ''not a significant amount'' of money, said a spokesman, Kristinn Hrafnsson.

MasterCard did not respond to a request for comment and a Visa spokesman declined. PayPal cited encouragement of illegal activities, which violated its service agreement.

McClatchy-Tribune