Moving to cashless payments will help speed transactions and shorten wait timesAMB GROUP
Mercedes-Benz Stadium will no longer accept cash at venue events and is now "requiring payment for food, beverages and merchandise with credit cards, debit cards or mobile payment services," according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The new policy will go into effect for Atlanta United's home opener Sunday, and will be "in effect at Falcons games and, at least for food and beverages, all other stadium events." The move to cashless payments is "intended to speed transactions and shorten waits at concession stands and merchandise shops." The Rays "became the first major U.S. sports franchise" to go cashless, with the January announcement that Tropicana Field will go cash-free. For fans in Atlanta without credit or debit cards, 10 kiosks "will be installed, some on each level of the stadium, where cash can be loaded onto prepaid Visa debit cards." Those cards then can be "used for purchases inside the stadium." With the move, Mercedes-Benz Stadium officials also are "dropping their previous policy of whole-dollar pricing," and prices will be "reduced on five concession items by 50 cents apiece." AMB Group CEO Steve Cannon said that the change was made after "extensive testing last year." Cannon said that by the end of the Falcons' season, about 30 of the stadium's 70 concession stands and bars "did not accept cash" (AJC.com, 3/4).
SPEEDING THINGS UP: In Atlanta, Eric Mandel noted an 11% reduction on concession prices marks the "second consecutive year of cuts" at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The transition away from the whole-dollar pricing model was "initially instituted to help speed transaction times, but also meant concession prices were listed pre-tax." Atlanta's 8.9% sales tax will be "added to each menu item, in essence raising some prices" moving forward. AMB Group said that there are "multiple reasons for the new changes, including cost and accountability issues related to cash handling." But of "most importance is speed," where card transactions can be up to 50% "faster than cash" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/4).
