Barclaycard Bands Together With Saints

Southampton FC have entered into a first-of-its-kind partnership with payments company Barclaycard that will see the high-flying Saints become the first football club in the world to offer fans club-branded bPay bands, Barclaycard’s new wearable contactless payment device.

Fitted with a contactless payment chip, Barclaycard’s bPay band enables wearers to make purchases of up to £20 using funds from any UK debit or credit card.

This move brings the reality of an ‘all in one’ cashless stadium device – combining payment technology with fans’ season tickets and stadium access – a step closer.

Fans using the wrist-worn device to make payments will have access to exclusive loyalty offers, special experiences and prize draws, according to a statement released on Monday.

Barclaycard says its vision is to eventually combine the device’s payment functionality with stadium access, negating the need for fans to arrive at games with wallets and season tickets.

Fans with a bPay band will also be able to use ‘contactless bPay lanes’ to avoid queues at bars and food outlets inside the ground.

Jochen Hartmann, Saints’ director of commercial operations, said: ‘Southampton Football club is very excited to be the first football club to partner with Barclaycard’s bPay band.’

‘This partnership hopefully clearly demonstrates our commitment both to driving innovation through every part of our football club, but also to providing the best experience for our fans, on match days and beyond.’