Frequently asked questions

Cashless payments

What are cashless payments and how do they work?

In their simplest form, cashless payments simply mean having no cash transactions. We offer a range of ways to achieve this including cashless RFID and a white label mobile digital wallet. For a detailed guide on cashless payment options, download our Cashless Payments Guide.

What are the benefits of taking my venue or event cashless?

The benefits of working with Tappit fall into four broad categories:

1. Improved fan experience – shorter queues, less to carry, personalised offers, a combined entry and payment system, enhanced safety, reduced risk of theft, digital voucher offers
2. Increased profitability – our customers see an increase of 22% in revenue when implementing cashless payments. You’ll get improved cash flow, no cash to manage, you can make operational savings, market to every attendee and increase sponsorship opportunities
3. Insights – Profile every fan, not just the ticket buyer, know who spent and sold what, when and where, understand what does and doesn’t work, identify your top customers.
4. Reduce the risk of COVID – Going cash-free minimises human contact, improves visitor flow, and reduces queues, supporting social distancing.

What are the different cashless payment solutions that Tappit offers?

Cashless RFID is most commonly used via wristbands or cards which include an electronic chip. When your participants, guests and fans scan the chip, they pay for their items straight away. A cashless RFID works in a similar way to a prepaid card. Your guests purchase load credit in advance or at the event. The user pays for items by tapping their RFID-enabled device on a RFID reader which deducts the expenditure from the users credit balance.

We also offer a white label mobile pay SDK. The SDK embeds seamlessly into  your own company mobile  apps. Contactless payment, access control, loyalty and ticketing can  co-exist  in one mobile ecosystem. 

Whichever route you choose to go cashless, all the data collected from the transactions made in the app or via the RFID wristbands provides deep insights into all your customers.

Find out more here.

How does an open loop system compare to a closed loop system?

Think of a closed loop system as its very own payment ecosystem. With a closed loop payment system, it’s your personal payment data ecosystem – all the customer transaction data is yours. You get to understand your customers, their purchasing habits and so much more. 

An open loop payment system uses a bank or other third party payment processor (such as Apple Pay, Paypal or Google Pay). Payments can be made at any locations approved by the card issuer, and crucially, the customer information is owned by the bank or other third party payment processor. 

How much does it cost?

The cost to implement our cashless solutions varies depending on your requirements, the type of venue, the number of users. We’re delighted to discuss further – get in touch to find out more. 

About RFID

What is RFID technology?

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. RFID technology uses radio waves and allows specialist devices to use radio waves to capture the data on a RFID tag. This is then transmitted to a back-end computer system.  

RFID is a particularly versatile form of cashless technology, in that the tag can be embedded pretty much anywhere. Season tickets, wristbands, lanyard passes – we’ve even seen the technology embedded into someone’s manicure!

What is an RFID cashless payment system and how does it work?

Cashless RFID payments are possibly (with the exception of tokens), the first evolution of closed loop cashless technology. 

Guests pre-load credit to an account which is then stored on the RFID tag. When the guest makes a purchase, the RFID tag is scanned by the vendor and the transaction value is deducted from the RFID tag balance. Transactions are much faster, queues are reduced and social distancing is maintained.

NFC vs RFID

NFC stands for near field communication and the technology is in fact a subset of RFID technology. Contactless cards and mobile phones – they use NFC technology for payment transactions. NFC chips send encrypted data over a short distance to a reader.

NFC whilst a great technology isn’t an ideal solution for events. NFC relies on network connectivity to work, and this isn’t ideal especially at large-scale events where coverage can be poor. Smartphone theft can also be an issue of course as well as poor battery life. NFC can also have compatibility issues across multiple mobile platforms and systems.

RFID technology doesn’t require the internet to work which overcomes a lot of the limitations of NFC.

What is the cost of an RFID system for events?

The cost of an RFID system varies depending on a number of factors including the number of integrations required, the size of the event and the hardware required. Get in touch with us and we’ll be able to give you a quote once we’ve discussed your requirements in more detail.

Can only wristbands be RFID-enabled?

No. Wristbands are probably the most common way that the technology can be implemented but RFID tags can be embedded into a wide variety of items including lanyards, tickets, cards, arm bands and more.

Do you supply RFID wristbands?

We will use one of our approved RFID wristband suppliers to source what you need.

Mobile Pay

What is mobile pay and how does it work?

We offer a few different ways for customers to implement our white label mobile pay solution.  It embeds seamlessly into your native mobile  apps. This gives you contactless payment, access control, loyalty and ticketing  in one mobile ecosystem. 

What is the app-less solution and how does it work?

Alternatively, our appless solution is the ideal route for organisations who want a white-label turnkey mobile pay solution and don’t have an existing mobile app. Your customers simply scan a QR code on a menu or poster etc and access payment options. It’s easy to set up, quick to implement and consumer friendly.

What does white label mean?

All of our technology is white label which means that our clients utilise our licensed technology and rebrand it as their own. We want your fans to be as engaged with you as possible. 

Why should I choose a white label cashless payment solution instead of Apple Pay or Google Pay for example?

The key difference between implementing a white label solution vs a third party such as Apple Pay is that when you choose a white label you create a closed loop payment system and crucially you own all the customer data. Choose a third party route and the third party owns all the customer data. Once you own your customer data you gain powerful insights into your customers buying behaviours which can allow you to drive revenue, make operational decisions, improve fan engagement and more.

Do you provide an SDK?

We do provide an SDK (software development kit) to enable clients to integrate contactless payment, access control, loyalty and ticketing technology into their own app.

Tappit Insights

What is Tappit Insights and what are the benefits?

All of our clients gain access to Tappit Insights when they come on board with us. Tappit Insights is our user-friendly and intuitive data analytics platform.

Data is collated from all your different systems into Tappit Insights – ticket data, purchases, parking, loyalty schemes for example. This gives you a 360 view of your customers’, and powerful insights to allow you to make the most profitable planning and decision making. Reporting is available in real time so you can make decisions on the fly. Here’s some more ideas on what you can do with the data you get from going cashless.

What kind of customer data is available to me?

We can hook in all of your systems to Tappit Insights. Our solution is fully agnostic – we don’t compete with any of your partners. 

Access and zone management

What is access and zone management and how does it work?

From VIPs to backstage we can provide zonal management solutions to make sure the right people get to the right places. 

What are the benefits of access and zone management?

Our solutions allow you to manage crowd flow and understand your footfall in real time. You’ll be able to identify bottlenecks at your venue or event quickly and make operational decisions to improve crowd flow. 

You can also ensure the right people have access to the right zones, reducing your operational costs for staffing and security.

Customer Support

Our event is going cashless with Tappit. Who is our main point of contact for support?

Once the event has been confirmed, Tappit will allocate a dedicated Account Manager who will assist you with the setup, implementation, delivery and discuss the level of assistance that you might require.

What level of support is available to us during/after an event?

Tappit has a global customer support team to ensure that events are successful.

I’m an existing customer of Tappit, how do I get in touch with you?

For existing customers who need some help you can email us at support@tappit.zendesk.com or alternatively, complete a support ticket here: 

About Tappit

Who are Tappit?

Tappit is the global payment and data ecosystem for events, attractions, stadia and venues. We provide a unique end-to-end solution including cashless payment, white label payment apps, mobile pay, RFID and event analytics. Tappit enhances live event experiences, providing technology and data, improving customer experience and increasing profitability. We bring event organisers and venues closer to their customers, giving them control over their payment solutions whilst providing actionable insights to make events even better. 

Where is Tappit based?

Our head office is based in the United Kingdom. We also have offices in the USA and UAE. We help businesses all over the world to take their events and venues cashless.

How long have you been established?

Tappit was established in 2017 and was launched to give organisers a meaningful understanding of their participants, guests and fans – enabling them to improve the fan experience and allow them to spend more time watching the action.

Which well known brands do you work with?

Take a look at our case studies to get a flavour of some of the organisations we work with. Our cashless payments system integrates seamlessly with any third party technology. We work with the major ticketing, POS, CRM, payment providers, loyalty schemes and more. For more information on our technology partners read on.

What makes Tappit different from its competitors?

Rather than focus on one type of cashless payment technology, we provide an end-to-end solution which includes cashless payment, white label payment apps, mobile pay, RFID and event analytics. With Tappit, you have a choice of how to go cashless for every type of venue and demographic. We also provide in depth advice and insights through our dashboard to help you make the fan experience incredible and maximise your profits. Most importantly, we’re fans ourselves – so we are passionate about helping you succeed.

I’m going to an event powered by Tappit and I’ve got some questions, who should I speak to?

As every venue or event we work with is unique, we’d recommend that you get in touch with the event or venue directly with your questions. Check their website for contact information.