The Jazz are looking at taking Vivint Smart Home Arena cashless, according to team Chief Information Officer B.J. Vander Linden. Like other teams and venues wanting to follow cash-free trend, the Jazz need to figure out the best timing and path for that push. “We just started that process. It’s definitely something we are looking to do,” Vander Linden said. He touted the operational and loss prevention advantages of not having to deal with cash management. However, Vander Linden noted a full cash-free push might not happen until '21. That is because the arena needs to have new points-of-sale, payment and computer systems in place that mesh with mobile and digital wallets and more credit card transactions. Vander Linden said it will be hard to test out cash-free concessions with the existing POS system. He said one option might be to first go cash-free at team shops inside the arena. Vivint Smart Home Arena just went through a $125M renovation that included a new high-speed public Wi-Fi system. Levy Restaurants, which handles concessions at the Salt Lake City arena, also is the concessionaire at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Tropicana Field. Both venues have recently gone cash-free. A number of other NBA and MLB venues are also looking at the cash-free arena model and how to get there. D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall said getting fans comfortable with new models like cash-free transactions or digital ticketing can take some time. Hall did not have a time frame for when his team's ballpark would go cashless. “We will get there eventually,” he said.
