Trends in Cashless Facilities at Sports Venues: Cashin-In with Tidel

The pandemic accelerated a lot of growth and change, especially when it came to cash-free and digital payment options. Cashless stadiums create unique and pleasurable experiences for guests, as they can pay quickly and easily in the parking lot all the way to the hotdog stand.

On this episode of Cashing-In with Tidel, Host Tyler Kern talked with David Barclay, Vice President of Marketing at Tidel, about the trends of cashless facilities at sports venues.

Businesses have worked to create omnichannel experiences for customers. One significant way they can do this is by using cashless payment options that start in the parking lot where consumers can pay for parking via an app, website, or credit card. They then can use their digital tickets to access the venue. From here, they then stop at the food stand to score some booze and food via cashless payment, followed by a quick stop at the gift shop.

“It seems to be a recent trend, and I think the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, where the Falcons play, got this thing started,” Barclay said.

When a stadium is “cashless,” it means they have set up POS terminals that only take debit, credit, or forms of mobile payment, such as Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, according to Barclay. But, cash-paying customers aren’t left in the dark. Businesses have invested in kiosks that act as “reverse ATMs” where cash can be put into the machine, and it will spit out a pre-paid debit card.

This leads to many benefits for stadiums, as it leads to “faster transaction times and therefore lower wait times in line, but also they make more money by mandating those forms of payment,” Barclay said of how studies show consumers spend more when using plastic.