Big four bank Absa will begin trials on an extension to its contactless smart card payment system at the bank's rugby fan park, in Cape Town, this weekend.
The bank is expanding its contactless payment network with a Springbok Supporters Club “tap-and-go” card, Absa announced today. “Fans will be able to tap the card to pay for food and beverages, saving them time and maximising their 'game time'.”
The first trial of the new Springbok Supporters Club tap-and-go card will be rolled out at the Absa Boktown fan park for the Springboks versus England game, which will be staged at The Barnyard Theatre, in Durbanville, Cape Town, on Saturday.
Absa has Boktown fan zones in five regions, including Johannesburg (Montecasino), Durban (Suncoast Casino), Krugersdorp (Silverstar Casino), Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld stadium) and Cape Town (The Barnyard Theatre).
The bank says, apart from working at participating Absa Boktown events in future, the card will also allow for payments of goods and services at participating merchants displaying the MasterCard with PayPass and/or MasterCard Cash logos. There are over 1 000 Absa merchants countrywide so far.
Interoperability
Earlier this year, Absa was involved in the MyCiTi project in Cape Town, which saw a contactless smart card system being instituted for bus rapid transit via MyConnect cards, for which the bank was sub-contracted.
The same Springbok Supporters Club tap-and-go card, says Absa, will work in transit in Cape Town. “[This illustrates] the interoperable nature of the new Absa Mastercard Paypass contactless card system popping up all over SA.”
Arrie Rautenbach, Absa's head of retail markets, says the Boktown trial is part of the bank's bid to integrate sponsorship properties with payment solutions. “Our venture into Boktown venues will allow us to create further consumer awareness of this stress-free and time-saving way to pay for our team of millions, the Springbok Supporters Club fans.”
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