New systems are in place at the Allianz Arena to improve the fan experience
The Allianz Area is constantly evolving to enhance the fan experience and has implemented a series of new systems to improve game days for Bayern Munich fans.
Per FCBayern.com, the Allianz Arena will now feature Apple Pay, a contactless payment system, and NFC Ticketing to enhance how easy fans can work through their game day inside the stadium.
Apple Pay
Apple’s quick pay system has been implemented and Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is excited that the arena will now offer the service.
We are very proud to offer this forward-looking payment option using cell phones in the Allianz Arena in conjunction with our partner Apple. Continuous modernization and innovation are a hallmark of FC Bayern München. We are continually investing in new technologies to keep the Allianz Arena current with the state of the art.
Contactless payment system
One of the key changes is that visitors to the Allianz Arena will no longer be required to have an Arena Card as the stadium is opening its payment system to all debit and credit cards.
Newer-generation cards that support data exchange via near-field communication (NFC) can also be used for contactless payment. A card could be held within a few inches of the payment terminal or also be inserted into the terminal via the traditional method.
Jürgen Muth, Managing Director of Allianz Arena München Stadion GmbH, had this to say regarding the change:
Even in our 14th year of operating the Allianz Arena, we continue to improve the stadium. User-friendliness is very important to us. I am therefore particularly excited that we can offer an even more effective payment service—and that at the request of our visitors.
Dr. Michael Diederich, Speaker of the Board of HypoVereinsbank, thinks long lines for food and drink will begin to move much quicker with these changes.
Contactless payment will soon be the standard for payment in the private sector. By equipping the entire Allianz Arena with this technology, we are once again demonstrating that we are a true innovation driver when it comes to our customers’ interests. Long lines for snacks, drinks, and fan gear are now a thing of the past. Our joint pursuit of the highest quality is what binds HVB and FCB together and brings out our peak performance.
For those fans that hold Arena Cards, nothing will change. Arena Cards will still be accepted as a means of payment. Also, payment upon exiting parking structures P1-3 will only be possible with an Arena Card until further updates are implemented.
NFC ticketing
In cooperation with Apple, Bayern will be the first member of the Bundesliga to offer its fans a convenient, digital ticket solution. Beginning immediately, visitors to the stadium can load their tickets into their Apple Wallets 3 and need only hold their iPhone/Apple Watch to the ticket scanner at stadium access points.
Interestingly, smartphones do not need to be switched on or establish an Internet connection; nor must the user open an app or unlock the device for the phone to be scanned. All scanners at the turnstiles are equipped with the latest NFC technology in cooperation with the technical supplier SKIDATA.
Rummenigge thinks this is the beginning of a movement to end tradition, paper ticketing:
Our goal is to process ticketing using only digital technology so that in the future we can phase out paper tickets entirely. In addition to maximizing user-friendliness, this step represents a valuable contribution to environmental protection and is thus a further measure in our sustainability strategy.