Local

How ‘cashless' trend is playing out at Charlotte sports venues

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A little more than a month ago, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta went cashless. Then came news that baseball’s Seattle Mariners are shifting a number of concession stands at the team’s ballpark to credit and debit only. The Mariners followed the Tampa Bay Rays’ announcement this winter that they, too, are ditching cash at games.

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All of which poses an obvious question for local sports fans: How will this trend play out in Charlotte? The answer is you can still make use of your cash at local stadiums and arenas, but don’t be surprised if incremental changes begin creeping toward the examples listed above.

The most aggressive team or venue on this front is the Charlotte Hornets. Before the 2017-18 season, a new Hornets app was introduced with the goal of making every possible purchase mobile, said Pete Guelli, the team’s chief operating officer.

Guelli told CBJ the Hornets aren’t ready to go cashless, but he also said customer habits are moving in that direction no matter the team’s policy.

Read more about changes have been put in place by the Hornets and other operators of local sports venues here.