MasterCard says its PayPass contactless wristbands were a hit at last weekend’s Isle of Wight festival. They could be used to buy food and drinks at a bar and restaurant on-site simply by touching the wristband to a terminal, using NFC technology. MasterCard says that 100% of people using the wristbands said they would want to use them again at other festivals and events. Although the caveat to this resounding stat is that the wristbands were given out to people in the VIP enclosure at the festival, preloaded with £30 to spend on grub and booze. No wonder they were chuffed. Even so, the idea of NFC and festivals is one we’ll be hearing more about. “The project was really the first part of testing consumer acceptance of a truly `cashless’ environment, which has been much talked about in the festival world,” says MasterCard’s Hany Fam. “We look forward to extending the PayPass prepaid wristbands to provide access as well as payments at more festivals and events across the UK.” The key is how well this will scale for use at a much larger range of stalls and outlets. Source: MasterCard
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