40% increase in contactless transactions

The number of contactless transactions at festivals last year increased more than third compared to 2016. According to data published by Festipay, 2016’s figure was already a substantial amount, 7 million. However, last year festival-goers paid via contactless transactions 10 million times. There has been a considerable increase of 40%, also in the number of cashless festivals. Last year, Festipay’s payment solutions were used at a total of 26 events.

Festipay’s innovations in venue access and cashless payments have been in use by some of the largest live events across the continent.

Compared to 2016, there has been a significant increase in the number of festivals where Festipay provided the cashless payment solution. Last year, besides the Untold (the biggest Romanian festival), six other Romanian, two French events and one Italian festival chose the services of Festipay.

Not only festivals use it

Hungarian festivals definitely lead the way in introducing cashless payment. Last year it was not just festival organisers, but other companies who were looking for a quick, simple and safe payment method. These companies also recognise the advantages of contactless transactions. Festipay is also the official cashless payment service provider of Budapest spas. Paskál Thermal Baths introduced cashless payment for its visitors in 2017. Lake Lupa has also chosen Festipay’s solution for contactless transactions. From 2018 all other Budapest spas, such as Gellért and Rudas have become cashless.

Other services

Besides contactless transactions Festipay’s services cover ticketing, access control, cashless payments, accreditation and credential management, staff management, smartphone applications and mobile payments. The company is also providing integrated solutions to manage crowds and increase on-site spending via brand promotion and brand activation.

NFC-enabled wristband

In 2017, Festipay was one of the first companies to deploy NFC-enabled wristbands. These wristbands combine ticketing, venue access and cashless payment functions in order to maximize convenience and service security for festivalgoers.

Festipay expects 10 million contactless transactions, introduced an integrated solution at the Neversea festival, and enters the Italian and Scandinavian markets

Budapest, 18 July 2017. – Festipay has closed a very busy first six months in 2017: several new Hungarian and international festival organizers decided to choose Festipay cashless payment solution. The company introduced an integrated solution at the Neversea festival in Romania, while new countries could soon be included in the company’s international portfolio: Scandinavian representation for Festipay was established in Finland, and the company will enter the Italian market in August. As part of further innovating its service, Festipay payment solution has been integrated into the applications of the biggest festivals. The number of contactless transactions through Festipay’s service will be exptected to reach 10 million by the end of the year.

According to the forecast for 2017, the company expects nearly 10 million contactless transactions at 26 festivals, while Festipay served 22 festivals in 2016, during which guests initiated 7 million contactless payment transactions. Alongside the festivals, more and more business companies recognize the advantages of cashless payment, so several venues introduced the Festipay payment solution this year. The list of new partners include the Paskál Thermal Baths, Lake Lupa, Budapest Park and Siófok Plázs. Lupa Beach visitors can pay comfortably upon departure, so the CHIP in the wristband does not have to be topped up in advance.

Festipay has served successfully several events on the Romanian market: in addition to Untold, which was selected to be “The Best Major Festival” in 2016, Bukarest Gourmet, Airfield and Summerwell, the number of events providing Festipay’s cashless payment in the neighboring country increases with new festivals. The first one in this season was the Afterhills Festival in the middle of June and it was followed by Vibe Festival and the Neversea Beach Festival.

Festipay was present with its integrated solutions at the Neversea Festival: ID-access and payments were both ensured by a single, chip-based wristband. The festival payment chip could be topped up online with a credit or debit card on the festival website’s registration interface. Furthermore, Festipay’s front end sales solution was connected to the merchants’ cash register system, speeding up service significantly. “The Festipay portfolio was completed with the integrated solution provided at the Neversea Festival, so we can say that now we are competitors with the largest international providers – and not only in terms of payment services,” said Festipay Ltd. CEO László Márki.

And international expansion continues. The Scandinavian representation for Festipay was established in Finland this spring, and at the end of summer, the company will enter the Italian market at the AMA Festival between 22 and 27 August in Asolo.

In the Hungarian market the company is expending too: a long running event series, the Közgáz Semester Closing Festival  offered cashless payment with Festipay in the middle of June in Alsóörs for the first time. Festipay also provided the cashless payment infrastructure for one of its oldest partners, VOLT Festival in Sopron, but as a new service the Festipay Top Up Machine was newly introduced this year. The Top Up Machine enabled visitors to apply for their festival cards without human interaction, and due to its around-the-clock availability, they could top it up anytime with cash, credit and debit cards.

Also, new this year is that the services available in the Festipay mobile application have been integrated into the applications of the big festivals to further ease the process of registration of the Festipay card, the credit or debit card top-up and the access of the transactions’ tracking list. The solution, which made its debut at Volt Festival, could also be used by visitors at Balaton Sound and will be available at Sziget Festival too.

The growth in the total number of credit and debit card transactions in 2016 continued this year as well. At Volt Festival, the number of credit and debit card payments increased by more than 50% (from 94,000 to 145,000), and at Balaton Sound an increase of more than 25% was experienced (the number of transactions increased from 77,000 to 98,000).

Festipay presented a new accessory at this year’s Balaton Sound Festival: the festival payment bracelet. The water-resistant and washable nautical bracelet contains a chip, which is suitable for contactless payments, similarly to the festival card. It was available in four designs and four sizes. In addition to replacing the festival card completely, the bracelet is a much more comfortable payment solution, and also functions perfectly as a sporty or fashion wearable. The Festipay festival bracelet can be registered in the festivals’ application, so it provides every convenient function offered by the integrated services.

After the nautical bracelet with the Balaton Sound logo, a Sziget-branded version will be designed for Sziget Festival. According to the plans, this will soon be available in the Sziget webshop – and at Sziget Festival as well.

In the second half of 2017, the usual big international festivals will follow:  Untold, and Sziget.

A festival experience highly depends on how the services provided to visitors make their lives easier. Cashless payment is nothing unusual for festival goers. They have no problem with having to buy their cards and top them up according to their needs and budgets.

Many people do not like to top up their festival cards with huge amounts. First, because in this way they can spend less, and second, because they worry about loosing their cards or being too generous… Loosing the card is not a problem – you can register your card in the application or in a text message. And as for the latter concern, you can top up your card with smaller amounts several times. But in this case you have to queue. And who likes standing in a line?

It is a challenge for festival organisers to optimise the opening hours of the top-up points. There is a demand for a non-stop top-up service. The solution is the Festipay machine, where you can top up your card with either a bank card or cash. You do not have to queue. People who prefer DIY solutions usually prefer the machine.

The machine was introduced in 2017 at the Volt Festival, but it was also popular at the Balaton Sound among the visitors.

The interface is simple, the pictograms make navigation easy.

The Contactless Payment Nautical Bracelet is the latest offer for summer festivalgoers. You can pay conveniently, simply and quickly with the payment bracelet at the festival. The product is waterproof and washable! There is a built in chip, which is under the colorful 2-cm wide stripe next to the festival tag. When paying, touch the bracelet’s chip to the sign on the card reader terminal. The payment bracelet completely replaces the Festipay festival card. You can top up your bracelet at any Top Up Point in the festival area.

We recommend that you register your bracelet in the festival application, so that you can monitor your costs, top up your bracelet with your bank card via your phone and, if you lose your bracelet, you will not lose the money left on it.

30 June 2017 – The first six months of 2017 have been busy for Festipay. Several local and international festival organisers and companies have decided to choose Festipay’s cashless payment solution. These new projects include the Paskál Thermal Baths, Lake Lupa, the Afterhills Festival and Közgáz Season-closing Festival.

While Hungarian festivals definitely lead the way in introducing cashless payment, this year it is not just festival organisers, but other companies who are looking for a quick, simple and safe payment method for a longer period of time, who also recognise the advantages of this solution. Paskál Thermal Baths introduced cashless payment for its visitors this year, and the operators of Lake Lupa have also chosen this solution.

Festipay has proven its worth at several events in the Romanian market. After Untold, Bucharest Gourmet and Airfield Festival, additional festivals have joined and increased the number of events served in our neighbouring country. The line began with Afterhills Festival in the middle of June, but in the first two weeks of July, visitors to two other events, the Vibe Festival and the seaside Neversea Festival, can also enjoy the benefits of the services provided by Festipay.

The next event debuting in Hungary was the Közgáz Season-closing Festival, which took place in Alsóörs in the middle of June. Festipay also provided its services at VOLT Festival. The new Festipay Top Up Machine was introduced here as well, where visitors could buy and top up their festival card and withdraw the balance remaining on the card independently.

In the second half of 2017, in addition to being present at the usual “major” festivals, such as EFOTT, Untold and Sziget, Festipay will also introduce itself at several new festivals. Plus, at the end of August, the Hungarian market leader will enter the Italian market as well.

Most of the festival visitors prefer cashless payment. It is a convenient, quick and safe way, not to mention that it is more transparent for the organisers. Visitors have got used to it that they can pay with a card issued by the organiser or with a bank card.

There are companies that have realised that cashless payment may be a viable solution not only for festivals, but for any company that offers seasonal or all-year services, such as spas. At a spa, it is always a concern where you put your cash or bank card. You can lock up other things, but if you place your money in a safe deposit, it may be cumbersome to get it when you are hungry or thirsty.

The closed loop prepaid card, which has already been tried and tested at festivals, offers an ideal solution for this problem. You can top it up with as much money as you want, and pay with it quickly and easily. You do not have to bother with the change, either. As for the sum that remains on the card, you can get it back at the end of the day or, depending on the flexibility of the organisers, you can use it later in the season.

Lake Lupa and the Paskál Spa are among those that have chosen the Festipay cashless solution. At these places you can enjoy the services without having to bother with cash. At Lake Lupa not only food and beverages, but all services can be paid cashless.

Budapest, 7 May 2017 – The festival season of 2017 traditionally started with Gastro Festivals for Festipay: the first weekend of May, the 5^th Food Truck Show Hungary was held and at the end of April the Hú!SVÉT gastro event in Palkonya was held cashless with Festipay.

The Food Truck Show was held for the fifth time on the first week-end of May, in Kincsem Park. The diverse flavours of vans selling street food well complemented the races, where bets were accepted for win, place or show. The cashless payment of Festipay was a sure bet, as it always is, ensuring fast and sanitary service.

A week after Easter, at Hú!SVÉT+7, the opening gastro meeting of the season, Festipay provided cashless payment services, as well. The STYLISH RURAL RESTAURANTS and SWEET BAKERIES, manors, monumental cellars and family-owned wineries spoiled the visitors with wines, foods, home-made pastries and fascinating programmes. The event debuted last year and the organizers decided that based on the experiences of the previous year, not only food and beverages should be stylish, but payments as well, providing a faster and simpler service. In addition to the top up points, prepaid Festipay festival cards were available at several food and beverages counters, and according to the feedback, visitors liked this set up.

Festipay has registered increasing demands by organizers of gastronomic festivals – both in Hungary and abroad – for obvious reasons: transparent operation, updated information, fast and smooth service and sanitary environment providing the fullest possible festival experience in the constantly growing market of gastronomic events.

Hungary brings a tradition of innovation to CeBIT, the world’s state-of-the-art technology expo 

Hannover, 24/03/2017. – Festipay participated in the Global Event for Digital Business – CeBIT 2017 held in Hannover, Germany on March 20th until 24th. CeBIT, the giant technology trade expo held each year in Hannover, Germany, is regarded as the largest event of its kind and attracts the most extensive international representation. Hungary’s pavilion takes up 400 square meters at this year’s event, making it the biggest exhibition space that our innovators have ever had to present themselves and their work.The organisers built a true home, equipped with a kitchen, lounge and garage, to demonstrate through the country’s developments: digitization has well and truly  reached everyday life, resulting in tangible applications facilitating daily chores. This year’s expo features 25 businesses from Hungary, but that’s just a taste of Hungary’s talent in the information technology sector. The national pavilion displaying many a solution, from 3D printers to cash-free payment applications etc. These companies are the flagships of digitization and continue to expand their operations in Hungary.