US stadia dive into cashless mode

Article posted by Coliseum, September 10^th, 2020

Image: MJR Group Ltd./Coliseum

The latest sports venue to go cashless in the United States is the TIAA Bank Field following collaboration with the National Football League’s (NFL’s) Jacksonville Jaguars.

TIAA Bank Field is an American football stadium located in Jacksonville, Florida, that primarily serves as the home facility of the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.

As part of a multiyear deal, which will begin in the 2020 NFL season, safe and seamless contactless mobile payment technology will be enabled throughout the facility.

Technology will be provided for Jags Pay, a white-label mobile payments system for Jaguars fans through the teams’ official app, which will allow fans to make purchases using only their cell phone. Fans can link any bank or credit card to the app to enjoy a frictionless payment experience and purchase food, drinks and merchandise in a more swift and efficient way.

Season ticket holders who use the app will also receive special discounts on select food and beverage items. Going cashless will help minimize the amount of contact between fans and staff, allowing for a much cleaner experience that limits the possibility of passing bacteria between one another taking into cognizance the COVID-19 pandemic – the lurking predator. It also reduces the risk of fraud and theft.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the residence of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer (MLS) club Atlanta United, and the American professional baseball team Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field were the first US venues that opted for the cashless mode in 2019.

A number of other venues have gone cashless, including the American professional basketball team Utah Jazz’s Vivint Smart Home Arena and CenturyLink Field, the home venue of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLS’s Seattle Sounders.

The Jaguars, which had their scheduled London games this season shifted back to Florida due to the deadly respiratory disease, will be among the small minority of NFL teams along with in-State neighbor the Miami Dolphins with plans to have limited fans this season, as they intend to have 25 percent capacity for home games.

The Jaguars’ other in-state neighbor, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said they will not welcome any fans back to the arena fold for at least their first two games.

“Based on our conversations with local officials, we have determined that it is not yet the right time to welcome fans back to Raymond James Stadium (home facility of Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” stated Brian Ford, Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer.

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