Amadeus has opted to remove cash from all electric point of sale tills at its food and beverage concessions inside the Genting Arena in Birmingham, England.
The move comes after a successful trial period in May of last year, with outlets switching over to cashless payment in November. Concessions each will retain one mobile cash point of sale cash till in reserve, should customers not be able to pay by card.
Amadeus had been keen to encourage more card and contactless payments at the venue as it seeks to speed up service time at its concessions.
Prior to last year’s trial, 70 per cent of all food and beverage transactions were being paid for in cash, but this has since dropped to just 20 per cent, with 80 per cent opting for card or contactless methods. On average, staff saved 30 minutes ‘cashing up’ at the end of each event.
Annie Monnox, general manager for Amadeus at the Genting Arena, said: “At a typical event at the Genting Arena, Amadeus serves up to 15,000 customers in a 90-120-minute window before the main act – so we need to make sure we are doing everything possible to ensure efficient and quick service.
“Considering the fact that the majority of customers spend less than £30 on food and beverage at a show, we saw the potential benefits of getting more customers to pay by card – in particular, by using contactless technology – as opposed to cash.
“The results have been phenomenal and customers have really embraced the change.”
Image: ING Nederland
