SEATTLE — If you’re planning a trip to CenturyLink Field in Seattle for a sporting event or concert, you can leave your cash at home.
CenturyLink Field announced on Monday that the stadium, CenturyLink Field Event Center, and WaMu Theater are transitioning to cashless operations. This means all concessions, retail, and on-site parking will now only accept credit, debit, and prepaid cards.
The transition is an “effort to boost guest experience through faster lines and more efficient sales processes.” CenturyLink Field said the move comes after other stadiums and event centers saw success and increased transaction times after moving to card-only sales.
"Depending on the event, credit or debit cards are already being used for approximately 75% of all concessions transactions and 90% for retail purchases," said David Young, Seahawks Senior Vice President of Business Operations and General Manager, CenturyLink Field. "We are confident this will be a seamless transition for our guests, and as a result, they will experience a positive improvement in wait times."
While visitors won’t be able to use cash for purchases on game or event days, there is an option for anyone who doesn’t have a debit or credit card, or anyone who prefers to use cash for their transactions. Ten card-to-cash ReadySTATION kiosks will be located throughout the stadium and event center.
The self-serve kiosks will allow visitors to convert $1 up to $500 onto a prepaid card that can be used inside or outside the stadium. There is no transaction fee and the prepaid card can be used everywhere major cards are accepted.
CenturyLink Field said the prepaid cards are not reloadable and should be treated like cash. Visitors can check their balance by calling the number on the back of the card.