Cash will not be accepted at Super Bowl LV. The NFL announced a partnership with Visa that will make the entire event cashless amid the coronavirus pandemic. Attendees will be able to trade in their cash for Visa gift cards at eight "reverse ATMs" around Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay.
The NFL was working with Visa to make the Super Bowl cashless before the coronavirus pandemic and decided to give it a try this February.
"A cash-free Super Bowl was the main goal of our new contract," Mary Ann Reilly, Visa's senior vice president of its North America marketing division, told CNBC. "The plan was to get to a cash-free Super Bowl within five years, and we're doing it in less than two years."
Reilly said that fans spend more money when they are using contactless payments. She also said that contactless payments provide more data on consumer spending than cash. While the credit card company does not know what items people are purchasing, they can track when and where people are spending money and see how much they spent.
She said that stadiums can use that data to maximize revenue while creating a better experience for the fans.
"It would also improve revenue for the stadiums," Reilly said. "Think about how much time they spend just processing and managing cash. The stadiums will save money on that cash management."
The NFL did not say if Super Bowl LVI, which is being held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in 2022, will be a cashless event.
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