After the success of the first cashless Super Bowl in 2021 (the first in its 55-year history), and the priority to increase safety and convenience for fans, 29 out of 30 NFL stadiums have officially transitioned to a cash-free environment. While SpotOn already works with half of the country’s NFL stadiums, 10 of those venues went completely cashless by offering our digital and mobile ordering and payments solutions for guests who buy food, beverages, and merchandise at concessions, bars, and in-venue retail outlets.
A cashless stadium offers multiple benefits for both operators and guests like increasing safety, reducing friction and customer touchpoints, and improving convenience and guest satisfaction with faster service and shorter lines. In 2021, cashless payments are no longer a “nice to have” but more of a “must have” that customers today expect.
Contactless payments and mobile ordering have become essential stadium tech that most major league teams are deploying and expanding. What’s clear to see is that these new customer preferences are here to stay. We surveyed 2,000+ people in the U.S. on how contactless technology is impacting decisions in large venues, restaurants, and retail during and post Covid-19.
Over 27% haven’t used cash for food, beverages, and merchandise in 2020, and 77% prefer contactless payments in 2021 and beyond. According to a recent Visa study, nearly 65% of consumers said they prefer contactless payments post Covid-19.
Here’s a quick look at 5 of the newest NFL stadiums that partnered with SpotOn to go fully cashless in 2021:
MetLife Stadium (New York Giants & New York Jets), East Rutherford, NJ.
Fans can expect a 100% cash-free environment at all stadium concessions (around 24 food and beverage options) and retail locations. Contactless payment is enabled at all point-of-sale—via ‘tap to pay’ cards and mobile wallets, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay—including terminals, self-service kiosks, and handhelds for hawkers. Additionally, SpotOn has enabled mobile ordering for Giants and Jets games. Fans can use the Giants or Jets app on their phone to order and pay for concessions from their seat (then pick up their order at a designated concession stand).
Paul Brown Stadium (Cincinnati Bengals), Cincinnati, OH.
Cincinnati Bengals announced it will be completely cashless for 2021, starting August 29 at the Bengals’ preseason home game against the Miami Dolphins. Fans can expect a 100% cash-free environment at all stadium concessions, bars, and retail locations. Contactless payment is enabled at all point-of-sale—via ‘tap to pay’ cards and mobile wallets, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay (concessions only), and hawkers will be equipped with SpotOn handheld devices for cashless payments only. Additionally, mobile ticketing will remain in effect for 2021.
Empower Field (Denver Broncos), Denver, CO.
Empower Field was one of the first NFL stadiums to go completely cashless in October 2020. All SpotOn terminals and self-service kiosks accept ‘tap to pay’ credit cards and mobile wallets (such as Apple Pay), and mobile ordering is also offered. Fans can expect completely cashless payments and mobile ticketing for the season.
Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles), Philadelphia, PA.
Lincoln Financial Field also announced in October 2020 it would be completely cashless. Cashless is still in effect, and accepted forms of payment at concessions and the Eagles Pro Shop include credit or debit, and Apple Pay and Google Pay. Cash to card conversions will be available for guests who need to exchange their cash for prepaid cards.
M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore Ravens), Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Ravens announced in May that the team will offer contactless entry and cashless purchases at M&T Bank Stadium. All food, beverage, and retail are completely cashless. The Ravens accept credit cards as well as mobile wallets, such as Google Pay and Apple Pay.
SpotOn also works with 9 other NFL stadiums to power various solutions including U.S. Bank Stadium (Minnesota Vikings), Soldier Field (Chicago Bears), First Energy Stadium (Cleveland Browns), Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs), and NRG Stadium (Houston Texans).
If you’re looking to change the fan experience at your sports or entertainment venue, SpotOn can help. Give your guests the power to order and pay however they want, whenever they want. Our cloud-based omnichannel platform is designed for the future of the fan experience and can help you increase sales, streamline operations, generate more revenue, and convert every bit of data into crucial business intelligence. Click here to learn more.
