Cashless fest?

[Meters Fan]

As much as they tell us that its for convenience, the real reason is probably to collect more data on you and your buying habits to sell to, well, anyone.

[swag]

A cashless system contributes to discrimination and oppression.
https://naacp.org/resources/cashless...ur-communities

At a societal level, yes. But I don't see how a cash free fest oppresses, unless you count inconvenience of having to trade your cash for a card.

As much as they tell us that its for convenience, the real reason is probably to collect more data on you and your buying habits to sell to, well, anyone.

If you have a system where you register a wristband and use that for all purchases, yeah, probably lots of data to mine. But if it's just a credit card swipe, I don't think the vendor gets much info.

[CEfromLA]

Wouldn't it be shockingly helpful if Festydave would stop in and confirm or deny this?

[chopitulas]

It is one thing to decide that vendors must only accept cards and another to force a POS system on all of them. There has to be a reason and data mining surely is a possibility, turning that data into money on the backend somehow.

And I just don't see a bracelet system working. The last thing you want to do after being in a line to get in is to have to go stand in another one to get a bracelet loaded.

[kyfester]

Cashless. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

[jjazznj]

It is one thing to decide that vendors must only accept cards and another to force a POS system on all of them. There has to be a reason and data mining surely is a possibility, turning that data into money on the backend somehow.

And I just don't see a bracelet system working. The last thing you want to do after being in a line to get in is to have to go stand in another one to get a bracelet loaded.

If they ever went to that system my Jazz Fest days would be over.

[rosetree]

Wouldn't it be shockingly helpful if Festydave would stop in and confirm or deny this?

Probably will wait until after the meeting in a couple of weeks....

[chopitulas]

It would be nice to think a priority for Jazz Fest organizers would be how to improve the experience for their attendees but that would be sadly naive, I'm afraid. A monetary gain for them seems the more likely reason. It also seems that ticket buyers should know about this beforehand. We are getting wind of it but you have to think there are many who will go who may not. An official announcement and something on their website seems like a reasonable minimum. Or they should allow cash or cards this year, making a complete shift next year.

And, again, if it just no cash but cards are fine, that shouldn't be that big a deal (unless you were caught unawares and didn't bring a card, a distinct possibility,) though it still begs the question why a POS system would be forced on vendors. It is the whole bracelet business that would be problematic.

[Virginia Fest Fan]

If this is in fact true, to wait to announce it after most tickets and all Brass Passes have been sold is really ... something.

Less and less community and more and more corporate, even in the 12 years since we've been attending.

[netdrew]

To clarify:

It's speculation, but what I meant is that if you don't have or don't want to use your own credit/debit card, then there would be booths set up where you can use your two $20s to buy a $40 prepaid card. If you do have your own credit/debit card (which is probably a large majority of adult fest attendees), then you just use that for purchases, no extra line needed. That's how they do it at the Superdome.

Any idea what happens to the remaining $1 or $2 that are left on an unspent prepaid card?

I know when I go to those fest where you have to buy tickets to use - I always end up with 1 or 2 that I couldn't use because I would have to go buy more.

In the end it seems unfair to those who work through life without credit/debit cards. Are all those school/church groups with kids going to need cards to get a water and snacks?

[swag]

Any idea what happens to the remaining $1 or $2 that are left on an unspent prepaid card?

I know when I go to those fest where you have to buy tickets to use - I always end up with 1 or 2 that I couldn't use because I would have to go buy more.

For example, at the cashless Superdome: "Visa Cards are sold in $25 and $50 denominations and can be used at ANY POS location in the building including merchandise. Any remaining balance on the debit card can be used at locations where debit payments are accepted." So if you have leftover, just spent it the next time you make groceries.

[piscesgirl]

Most festivals do this to make sure they get their share of sales from the vendors. If the Jazzfest gets 25% of all Beer sales, it is impossible to enforce if the sales are all cash. I don't know if Jazzfest has that kind of arrangement with the food vendors, but the reason may not be to enrich big companies. If you consider Jazzfest just another big company who's money never flows down to the community, then I suppose that is a different problem.

I actually thought that the beer sales were checked via an inventory count at the start of the day and the end. That's why we always kept the damaged cans that couldn't be sold so Ms. Lena would get credit for them. I imagine cashless would make it easier for Fest but you could also give stuff away if no one is counting it.

Who is eating the merchant fees? I would certainly think it's not Fest.

[funkkjunkie]

For example, at the cashless Superdome: "Visa Cards are sold in $25 and $50 denominations and can be used at ANY POS location in the building including merchandise. Any remaining balance on the debit card can be used at locations where debit payments are accepted." So if you have leftover, just spent it the next time you make groceries.

This is good in theory but when I had one of those cards I learned you had to buy something under the amount or exactly the amount on the card. The way it's set up, you can't empty the card and then use a different payment/card for the remainder of your groceries or whatever.

[swag]

This is good in theory but when I had one of those cards I learned you had to buy something under the amount or exactly the amount on the card. The way it's set up, you can't empty the card and then use a different payment/card for the remainder of your groceries or whatever.

They may depend on the grocer's system, I know I've told Rouses, $20 on this prepaid card and the rest on this regular credit card.

[brooklyngal]

https://www.musicfestivalwizard.com/why-cashless-festivals-are-the-worst/