[Albion] Cashless Amex en route...

[Super Steve Earle]

What annoys me is where was the consultation with fans groups.

The club can never now quote "freedom of choice" of supporters in their marketing of the club.

I totally understand the benefits to the club however you should always consider "all fans" when making changes like this.

Barber assumes that everyone has contactless cards quite simply he is WRONG.

Supporters might have basic accounts which dont give you contactless card only chip/pin.

Richer parents will have contactless cards for their kids,the poorer ones will not.

Why railroad this change through without Plan B

Most supporters will have ST or My Albion membership card why could the club not devise a system where fans topped up their cards online instead of alientating fans.

Supporters who dont have contactless cards will simply eat/drink before they arrive at local pubs or stop off at McDonalds etc.

Despite the fact i can use my card i will delibrately boycott eating/drinking at the Amex in support of others.

Well boycotting eating/drinking at the Amex over this is just silly.

 

[timbha]

Equally, one could say that the vast majority of fans do seem to have contactless, and going forward more and more will. I fully understand and sympathise with the issues and impact for some sections of society although I do feel the elderly and tech argument is overplayed a little. I also appreciate accessibility. But, I’m struggling to see a huge issue with this in the context of the AMEX. At worse, some sections of society will be denied the opportunity to purchase ludicrously overpriced and very average food and drink.

I think I agree. I'd be surprised if there are more than a few hundred adult STH and fans that don't have a debit card given the affordability of match tickets. It's not a big bang introduction and if people have enough savvy to load cash onto a My Albion card then surely they will have a contactless card.

A little concerned that parents will give their children their (ie the parent's) debit card to use at the stadium and in so doing providing poor education on card security and card sharing.

The benefits to the Albion are huge, eg no cash handling, no pilfering of cash, faster queues, more sales, no laundering of dodgy notes.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well boycotting eating/drinking at the Amex over this is just silly.

Not really. I had a nice lunch in Brighton then went to the game. Left a minute or so after the whistle, was on the first train which arrived at Falmer and had an APA in my hand shortly after arriving in Brighton. Whilst my situation was purely circumstance and I didn’t deliberately boycott buying at the ANEX...I can certainly see the merit.

 

[rogersix]

Used both the cash and cashless kiosks in the ESU. Guinness only bring served from the cashless one. At least until they ran out and couldn't find a new barrel. So I ordered two different drinks which were overall a pound cheaper, then had to wait while they found a bag of coins to refund me the difference. So even though they wouldn't take cash, they had to refund me in cash. Odd.

Can't say I noticed either being noticeably quicker. But it won't make any difference when the gadgie in front of you, gets served but doesn't know if Tom wants a lager or a cider, Dick wants a pie or a burger, what flavour crisps Harry asked for, and has to send his mate to ask.

gadgie?

 

[drew]

What annoys me is where was the consultation with fans groups.

The club can never now quote "freedom of choice" of supporters in their marketing of the club.

I totally understand the benefits to the club however you should always consider "all fans" when making changes like this.

Barber assumes that everyone has contactless cards quite simply he is WRONG.

Supporters might have basic accounts which dont give you contactless card only chip/pin.

Richer parents will have contactless cards for their kids,the poorer ones will not.

Why railroad this change through without Plan B

Most supporters will have ST or My Albion membership card why could the club not devise a system where fans topped up their cards online instead of alientating fans.

Supporters who dont have contactless cards will simply eat/drink before they arrive at local pubs or stop off at McDonalds etc.

Despite the fact i can use my card i will delibrately boycott eating/drinking at the Amex in support of others.

What would be the point of consulting with fan clubs when we know that the majority will not have a problem with this and there will be one or two bringing up the tech arguments or that they don't have contactless etc etc.

 

[Creaky]

What would be the point of consulting with fan clubs when we know that the majority will not have a problem with this and there will be one or two bringing up the tech arguments or that they don't have contactless etc etc.

How do we know - I don’t have a problem using contactless but I do have a problem with the removal of choice and for some the removal of an option to buy at all.

 

[Goring-by-Seagull]

Been said already on this thread, but people need to realise they're not going contactless ONLY, just cashless. You can still use chip and pin. You can still use your bank card, doesn't have to be contactless.

 

[Sussexscots]

gadgie?

Apologies. In the bit of Scotland I came from it just means a bloke. In the North East its an old bloke.

 

[Weststander]

Tax cheats must be fuming. Cash from customers will need to be banked, to an extent.

 

[Dirk Lehmann's Python]

Queues were an absolute disgrace yesterday

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Weststander]

Queues were an absolute disgrace yesterday

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

That was the case in the NS. Very slow staff in mind and body, they wandered around at a snails pace and looked to be suffering in the heat. Often waiting for their colleagues to pull the pints.

 

[Springal]

Queues were an absolute disgrace yesterday

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

WSU seemed fine. Managed 2 separate beers + food. New chicken burger was a bit manky mind you

 

[drew]

How do we know - I don’t have a problem using contactless but I do have a problem with the removal of choice and for some the removal of an option to buy at all.

Have you been insisting the club accept cheques at the kiosks as well then? Hardly removing the option to buy though as if you can get contactless cards or chip and pin cards with accounts.

Times change.

 

[Garage_Doors]

What would be the point of consulting with fan clubs when we know that the majority will not have a problem with this and there will be one or two bringing up the tech arguments or that they don't have contactless etc etc.

Think you argument is a bit like Brexit. Because you feel, and those around you feel the same that "majority will not have a problem" does not mean it is true.
There are far more people that are not happy With this than you think.

 

[Creaky]

Have you been insisting the club accept cheques at the kiosks as well then? Hardly removing the option to buy though as if you can get contactless cards or chip and pin cards with accounts.

Times change.

Paying by cheque never was a choice so there isn’t a question of removing a choice. The vast majority of adults can get a bank account and get a card - that doesn’t mean everyone has or wants one - their is a significant minority that don’t - that’s their choice.

There was a recent government review on this subject that didn’t recommend action to force all businesses to accept cash but they did recommend that in certain sectors cash must be acceptable - prescriptions, utilities, council tax/rent etc. - in other words it recognised that there are circumstance where people may have some cash in their pocket but no facilities to pay via a bank account.

I hope you are never in a situation where you have no money in the bank nor credit on your cards but have cash in your pocket but shops have decided they won’t accept cash.

 

[Bozza]

There was at least one vendor at this weekend's Worthing Food & Drink Festival that did not accept cash.

 

[drew]

Think you argument is a bit like Brexit. Because you feel, and those around you feel the same that "majority will not have a problem" does not mean it is true.
There are far more people that are not happy With this than you think.

I don't believe it is anything like Brexit as a cashless society is inevitable! The question is how long it takes to reach that position. There are already more debit card transactions than cash and debit cards were only introduced 30 years ago where as cash has been king for several millennia!

I suspect the gap between the number of transaction will continue on it's current path.

As for not having a debit card, there aren't many valid arguments. Banking apps allow you to see exactly what is in your account without having to go to a cash machine. People will adapt.

 

[drew]

Paying by cheque never was a choice so there isn’t a question of removing a choice. The vast majority of adults can get a bank account and get a card - that doesn’t mean everyone has or wants one - their is a significant minority that don’t - that’s their choice.

There was a recent government review on this subject that didn’t recommend action to force all businesses to accept cash but they did recommend that in certain sectors cash must be acceptable - prescriptions, utilities, council tax/rent etc. - in other words it recognised that there are circumstance where people may have some cash in their pocket but no facilities to pay via a bank account.

I hope you are never in a situation where you have no money in the bank nor credit on your cards but have cash in your pocket but shops have decided they won’t accept cash.

I was being facetious about the cheques!!

As you say, it's people's choice whether or not to have a bank card but it is equally the clubs choice to move to a cashless stadium, as several others are already doing. If it is just choice about having a card then the consequences are that you won't be able to buy at the Amex. No doubt the club will monitor any effect on loss of business.

 

[Wozza]

These guys (and others) do a top-up debit card... http://www.myoptimumcard.co.uk/

 

[Chinman3000]

I used the middle kiosk in the NS on sat and it was undoubtedly quicker both pre-match and at half time.

In indignation on this thread is laughable. Threats of boycotting etc

I haven't heard one good reason why someone NEEDS to pay by cash, probably because there isnt one.

Stop being the buffer for positive change.