While the Pensacola Blue Wahoos are flashing the leather on the field this season, fans at the concession stands will be flashing the plastic.
Bayfront Stadium is joining other ballparks and venues nationwide in going cashless, for both baseball games and other events. Team President Jonathan Griffith says the move began with surveys and studies dating back to 2018.
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“How can we get those lines faster? We have been a couple of years waiting, looking," he said. "[We] went to some other venues, to see how their cashless went as well. And we came up with the idea of how we're going to do it this year."
The team studied a number of venues, including the Pensacola Bay Center, in devising their plan. While Bayfront will be cashless, those attending events without credit or debit cards are still welcome, and will be accommodated.
“We do realize that there's some folks out there that don't have credit cards or debit cards,” Griffith said. “And we're going to have that option where they can go to the team store, the ticket office, and be able to get a gift card for tickets or merchandise or food, whatever they may want as well. So, I think we have a pretty good plan together.”
The change follows the lead of the Wahoos’ parent club, the Miami Marlins. The no-cash era kicks off January 19.
“Even to our booster club — they do fundraising and things like that,” said Griffith. “And even with all of our fundraising, our 50/50, everything is going to be through credit card. We have modules now that people can just swipe the way of the world now. So, we're going to be able to do it there. We're also going to have our parking be cashless as well.”
Six of the other seven clubs in the Southern League are also plastic-only. The Mississippi Braves makes plastic an option and still accepts cash.
And it appears that cashless transactions are here to stay elsewhere as well.
“There are countries outside the U.S., especially in Asia — like China — who are rapidly advancing towards a fully cashless society, including having currency that is issued by the government, that is digital,” said Dr. Shelle Santana, an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Her research shows that a “less cash” society is more likely in the U.S. with a fully cashless landscape not expected anytime soon, but, she adds, that could change.
“We don't have a digital dollar just yet,” Santana said. “So that's why myself and other people who have studied the space feel like consumers will be using less and less cash over time, which we clearly see. But a fully cashless society, I think, is still an aspiration here in the U.S.”
As is the case with a lot of other areas over the past three years, Santana says the COVID-19 pandemic has made its mark on digital transactions — speeding up cashless transition by about three years, according to some studies.
“Many of us were in lockdown mode and we had to make a lot more purchases remotely,” she said. “Many people who had not, until that point, use cashless payment methods actually adopted those out of necessity. And then that behavior for a lot of people stuck. Even as we sort of get back to our typical ways of doing business.”
As with most everything else, there are both pros and cons to a cashless marketplace. On the upside, Santana says it helps enhance the consumer experience.
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“So if I'm standing in line at a concession stand and I don't have to wait for change, that just speeds up the process for everybody,” said Santana. “And you can get back to your seat and see the game or the concert or what have you, [and] not stand in line waiting for your food.”
The downside, says Santana, can be measured in at least two areas.
“Somewhere between 10% to 20% of citizens don't have a checking account, so they don't have regular access to some of the cashless tools like credit cards, etc.,” she said. “Some consumers are very concerned about the privacy aspects. If your bank knows every transaction you've ever made in the history of your life.”
Across-the-board plastic at Bayfront Stadium is the follow-up to the 2022 season when Blue Wahoos President Jonathan Griffith says they went ticketless as part of the mandates handed down by Major League Baseball.
“It really worked well,” he said. “We had a speed bump to start off at that education, and so that's why we're trying to get ahead of it now on this part of it. Last year we tried to get ahead of it, but I think we could have done even better. Now, we're really pushing it to make sure we're helping that education and let people know that we're going to be cashless.”
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos will open defense of their Southern League championship on April 7, when they host the Montgomery Biscuits.