The Jacksonville Jaguars are now allowing QR-based mobile payments at retailers and concessions at the TIAA Bank Field Stadium through a mobile Jags Pay wallet in the official team app, according to a report from NFCW.
Supporters have already been using the app to access tickets on game day to enter the stadium.
Android and iOS mobile phone users can link credit or debit cards to the Jags Pay wallet through the Jags App, and make mobile payments at any of the points of sale at the stadium. NFCW reports that the QR codes method “is safe, universally used and can be read from a much greater distance than any other payment methods as well as through protective plexiglass,” according to the company.
That could help during the pandemic as people have been trying to avoid physical contact with surfaces outside. QR codes have been popular during the pandemic for that reason, PYMNTS writes, with Chinese companies like Alipay and Tencent pursuing standardized QR codes that have been adopted by big U.S. companies like Walmart and Walgreens, in addition to Apple utilizing them for Apple Pay.
Tencent’s 2020 Pandemic and the QR Code Economy Report, released in May, reported that QR code usage had increased 25 percent from the previous year, with over 140 billion instances of usage from governments, businesses and individuals.
Chad Johnson, the Jaguars’ SVP of sales and service, said health and safety were “at the forefront” of every update made to the processes this year.
And, the company adds that the QR code payments are quicker and can help customers return to their seats faster.
The technology will also give insight into fans’ purchasing behavior, which the Jags want to use to “customise their experience at TIAA Bank Field with exclusive offers tailored just for their game day style,” according to NFCW.