"We've been delighted with the speed and ease with which Tappit implemented Padres Pay. We now have a safer, contactless way for Padres fans to pay. Furthermore, the data and insights available on the Tappit platform allow us to get closer to our fans in a way that simply wasn't possible before. The increase in spend per caps of Padres Pay users has made us excited about the future potential of the solution."

Josh Pell
VP, Hospitality San Diego Padres

The client

The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego, California. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home games at Petco Park.

Overview

The need to provide a safer experience for returning fans and staff, coupled with the drive to improve the fan experience and maximise revenues saw the Padres seek out a partner who could provide a frictionless, contactless and easy-to-implement mobile pay solution. San Diego Padres chose to partner with Tappit who implemented the white-label mobile pay solution, integrated directly with the MLB Ballpark app. ‘Padres Pay’ went live for the start of the 2021 baseball season. Fans benefit from having a frictionless, touchless and fast purchasing experience. The Padres benefit from a speedier and safer transaction experience for fans and staff. The data and insights on every fan is used to drive operational efficiencies and maximise revenue. 

Integration & timeline

With the partnership agreement completed 8 weeks ahead of launch – Tappit delivered 6 integrations and worked with multiple vendors and partners (concessionaires, point of sale, payment gateways, mobile ordering) to ensure a smooth launch for fans, the team and tech partners. Padres Pay was launched successfully to fans and concessionaires in time for the first home game. 

Tappit solution

Tappit offered a full cashless implementation within only 8 weeks to go before launch:

 Improved fan experience.    Safety.    Increased fan engagement.    Data & insights.    Increased revenue.

The Results

  1. Increased revenue The increased spend of Padres Pay users of over 25% on average, means that the more the fans use it, the more revenue comes to the Padres.
  2. Improved fan experience Faster transactions resulted in shorter lines – reducing risk of viral transmission and ensuring fans did not miss the game. Concessions were able to serve fans faster – increasing sales at the same time.
  3. Seamless integration The integration with mobile ordering delivers a contact-free way for fans to get their refreshments without missing a moment of the game.
  4. Saving time The reporting enables rapid delivery of reconciliations and reporting – creating a clear, accurate third party record of transactions and items – reducing fraud, theft and operational resources required.