Barclaycard Partners With Southampton Football Club To Roll Out Next Evolution Of Wearable bPay Band

Barclaycard and Southampton Football Club have signed an agreement to distribute Barclaycard’s bPay bands to fans and expand the band’s functionality beyond contactless payments. 

Following trials of the bPay band - a wearable contactless payment device - Barclaycard recently announced its intention to develop and offer an integrated wearables proposition for the sports and leisure industry.  Southampton Football Club supporters will become the first fans in the world to experience the technology after the club signed an agreement with Barclaycard to offer them an exclusive bPay band in the club’s colours.

bPay band by Barclaycard is a new way to pay. Worn on the wrist, it contains a contactless payment chip that is topped up with money from any UK debit or credit card and that is used to make payments for purchases of £20 and under wherever displays the contactless symbol. This includes across St Mary's Stadium and at over 300,000 payment terminals across the UK.

Southampton FC fans using the exclusive bPay band will be able to use dedicated ‘contactless bPay lanes’ on match day, allowing them to beat the queues at bars and catering outlets inside the stadium. Season ticket holders will also benefit from a range of ‘money can’t buy’ offers on hospitality and memorabilia running throughout the 2014/15 season as well as special experiences and prize draws.

The partnership agreement aims to accelerate Barclaycard’s vision for the functionality of bPay band to be expanded to incorporate fans’ season tickets and stadium access, as it looks to develop an ‘all in one’ device that allows football fans to attend games with just a bPay band.

As well as bringing a number of benefits to its supporters, the bands will allow the club to enhance the way it engages with its fans and look at ways to improve their match day experience, by changing anything from the food and drink it stocks to corporate facilities and the merchandise on sale in the club shop.