Pandemic will likely push teams toward cashless transactions

[Freddie Falcon]

Getty Images

The headline from Wednesday’s item from Daniel Kaplan of TheAthletic.com focused on the possibility that team’s will ask fans who attend games (if any attend games) to sign a waiver. But there was more to Kaplan’s story regarding pro football in a pandemic.

For example, the ongoing public-health crisis likely will push teams even more aggressively toward a post-cash existence.

“In some of the guidelines we encourage cashless transactions,” an unnamed source familiar with the league office’s coming COVID-19 guidelines to teams told Kaplan. “And so you’ll see that it gives you recommendations, yes to have prepackaged, pre-ordered food if you can, as much as you can. And I think you’ll see that was a trend, in some cases, prior to COVID. But now it’s just kind of in overdrive.”

The Falcons, as Kaplan notes, are the only cash-free team. More are expected to follow. The biggest hurdle includes installing the hardware to allow cards to be swiped or inserted at concessions locations. One necessary item of machinery will be “reverse ATMs,” which allow customers to instantly goose their accounts by making cash deposits.

It also helps if customers are fully aware of the shift, so that they can leave their paper money at home, with their change.