The National Football League (NFL) and payments giant Visa are joining forces to make sports safer for fans. These plans involve a cashless experience for the upcoming Super Bowl. Here is what to expect from the Visa and NFL partnership and the shift towards a cash-free, digital payment Super Bowl.
Visa Announces a 100% Digital Payment Super Bowl LV
, the “Official Payment Services Technology Partner” of the NFL, is announcing plans for the future of payments at sporting venues worldwide. The global payment leader is seeking a “safe and secure return to large venues and events” with a shift towards a 100% digital payment experience at Super Bowl LV.
This 100% digital payment acceptance covers the entire stadium experience, including:
- Parking
- Concessions
- Retail
- Mobile ordering
If attendees do not have a payment card and are only carrying cash, Visa claims that ATMs which exchange cash and dispense Visa-branded prepaid cards of up to $500 will also be available, with no load fees. Visa prepaid cards from Super Bowl LV will also work outside the venue, providing consumers an inclusive environment for all to participate in the emerging digital economy – as well as a unique souvenir from the Big Game.
A New Visa Guide for Venues
“Touchless Payments: A Key to the Return of Live Events” is Visa’s guide for operators to help them better understand the shift towards a cashless venue experience. The guide is designed to make operators feel better equipped to accommodate the growing expectation for touchless commerce experiences and how venues can adopt payment innovations and implement new processes.
Visa’s guide highlights four key benefits of venues shifting to digital payments:
- Safe and Secure: Having touchless payments builds confidence with fans, limits the need to exchange physical cash or coins
- Drives Revenue: Fans at a stadium or arena spend 25 percent more per transaction at venues when they don’t have to deal with cash
- Increased Efficiency: Operational efficiencies and savings from limiting cash-related fraud can equate to an estimated $150,000-$350,000 for stadiums that made digital payments ubiquitous.
- Data and Loyalty: Can link and manage digital purchases to loyalty platform to reward fans.
“The Future Is Here”
“Visa is one of our key partners in helping us imagine how our fans will experience the NFL in years to come,” said Renie Anderson, Executive Vice President of Partnerships & Chief Revenue Officer for the NFL. “We’re excited to announce that for our biggest event the future is here, and we thank Visa for the innovative approach to enable a more secure way to pay at Super Bowl LV. This move will not only make the game more enjoyable and efficient for our fans but most importantly, safer for all involved.”
“Long before the pandemic sparked demand for safe, touchless experiences, Visa has been at the forefront of in-stadium digital payment innovation. Teaming up with the NFL to now make payments completely digital at the Super Bowl not only achieves a primary goal of our partnership but is transformative for the future of sporting events,” said Mary Ann Reilly, Senior Vice President, Head of North America Marketing, Visa. “Visa will continue to lead the point-of-sale digital transformation at stadiums nationwide because converting to touchless, digital payments is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for fans and concessionaires alike.”
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