Hull’s Bonus Arena has become the latest UK venue to announce a switch to a cashless business model.
The 3,500-capacity facility, which opened in August 2018, will make the move for a gig by English indie band Blossoms on March 21. From this point, arena visitors will only be able to pay by chip and pin, contactless card or services like ApplePay, although initially one bar will continue to take cash.
The move comes after the Bonus Arena’s fellow ASM Global-managed venue, Leeds’ First Direct Arena, announced last month that it would transition to a cashless system. Already this year, Premier League football clubs Arsenal and Chelsea have announced similar plans for the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge. Principality Stadium in Cardiff and Ashton Gate in Bristol have also made cashless announcements.
Dan Harris, general manager at the Bonus Arena, told the Hull Daily Mail newspaper: “The decision to go cashless has been made to enhance the customer experience. As we have seen at other venues across the UK who have already implemented this, queues and waiting times are reduced meaning guests spend more time watching and listening to the artists they have paid to see.”
The Bonus Arena intends to become fully cashless by the end of the summer. Harris added: “As we phase this in we will have extra signage to inform our guests and will be running campaigns across our social and email channels to minimise any inconvenience to those attending events.
“Although one of our bars will still take cash payments in the short term, we do hope to be a completely cashless venue by the end of the summer.”
Image: Bonus Arena
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