More professional sports teams in the U.S., including hockey, football, baseball and basketball, have opted to allow their fans to pay for concessions with MasterCard PayPass, speeding up purchases and enabling them to get back to the game quicker.
PURCHASE, N.Y.–MasterCard Worldwide announced that three arenas, home to three National Hockey League (NHL), two National Basketball Association (NBA) teams and an array of special events are accepting MasterCard PayPass, a contactless payment option. Now fans can pay for concessions using MasterCard PayPass, which delivers speed and convenience at the register when making purchases. American Airlines Center, United Center and XCel Energy Center, homes of the Dallas Stars and Mavericks, Chicago Blackhawks and Bulls, and Minnesota Wild respectively, will accept PayPass at in-stadium concession stands just in time for the playoffs.
Fans will now be able to catch more of their team’s action during the season’s home stretch and crucial playoff run. Consumers purchasing concessions need only tap their PayPass-enabled card or device on specially-equipped terminals. In addition, no signature or PIN is required to complete the transaction for purchases under $25. Sports fans in Chicago who also attend baseball or football games will already be familiar with the technology, as it was deployed at Soldier Field, U.S. Cellular Field and Wrigley Field prior to the 2006 seasons (in addition to thousands of other merchants throughout the U.S.).
“Every second counts when you’re a fan of games as fast as hockey or basketball, and you certainly do not want to miss a song when you’re at a concert,” said T.J. Sharkey, Group Head, National Accounts, U.S. Commerce Development, MasterCard Worldwide. “With the NBA and NHL playoff races in full force, momentum can shift in the blink of an eye, and PayPass will help ensure that fans of these teams don’t miss the action stuck in long lines.”
“MasterCard PayPass will drastically speed up the payment process at our concession stands so that our guests quickly get back to their seats to enjoy the game or event,” said Lori Glasser-Seinera, Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Sales, American Airlines Center. “American Airlines Center will be able to serve more customers faster, which will create a better fan experience, while also helping to drive our concession sales.”
Ten football and 12 baseball stadiums have already adopted MasterCard PayPass, and it was accepted at 14 PGA Tour events during the 2006 season. “Sporting events are an obvious fit for the benefits of contactless payments because every attendee has somewhere they would rather be than standing in line,” added Sharkey. “We’re pleased with how the category has overwhelmingly embraced PayPass.”
Baseball stadiums equipped with MasterCard PayPass are Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals), Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies), Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles Dodgers), Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox), Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds), Jacobs Field (Cleveland Indians), PETCO Park (San Diego Padres), Shea Stadium (New York Mets), Turner Field (Atlanta Braves), U.S. Cellular Field (Chicago White Sox), Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) and Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees).
Football stadiums equipped with MasterCard PayPass are Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City), Dolphin Stadium (Miami), FedEx Field (Washington D.C.), Ford Field (Detroit), Giants Stadium (New York/New Jersey), Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia), M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore), Qwest Field (Seattle), Soldier Field (Chicago) and University of Phoenix Stadium (Arizona). ![[end]](/resources/bullet/contactlessnews-4.gif)
