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Red Bull Salzburg employs cashless stadium model

Austrian Bundesliga football club Red Bull Salzburg has announced that its Red Bull Arena will go fully cashless later this month.

The move will be made through a partnership with financial services company Mastercard. The reigning Bundesliga champion said payments in the 32,000-seat stadium will be accepted via debit and credit cards, with the exception of Diners Club and American Express, along with smartphones and smartwatches.

There will also be the opportunity for fans to buy prepaid Mastercard cards worth €20 (£18/$22) for use in the stadium. Salzburg’s fellow Bundesliga club Austria Wien has already gone cashless, with the system to go fully operational at Red Bull Arena for the friendly match against English Premier League team Chelsea on July 31.

In addition, Salzburg has enhanced its sustainability efforts by ending the use of single-use plastic cups. Instead, fans will be asked to pay a €2 deposit for cups which will be returned via the same cashless methods employed at the stadium.

For certain matches, fans will have the option to donate the deposit to charitable causes.

Image: Red Bull Salzburg