Contactless payments at some of Hungary’s largest festivals just got a major upgrade.
Using Festipay’s new wristbands, which serve as a combined entry ticket and payment device, and Cellum’s mobile payment software add-on, the official apps of VOLT, Balaton Sound and Sziget Festival now offer a faster, easier and more convenient way for visitors to top up their Festipay balance.
Over the past few years, festivals by Sziget Ltd. have become completely cashless. Up until recently, visitors were given contactless payment cards at the entrance, which they could top up and use to make purchases. This year, however, Festipay has introduced a new integrated solution that combines the entry ticket and the payment device into a single wristband.
The first major festival in Hungary to use the solution was VOLT Festival in Sopron, which ended last Sunday and welcomed over 152 thousand visitors. Answering questions by journalists, several festivalgoers highlighted the speed and ease of balance top-up through the app and the practicality of having nearly impossible to lose wristbands as major improvements over previous years.
Visitors can load money onto their balance without having to visit a kiosk: they can simply download the festival’s official app on their smartphone running Android or iOS and register a credit or debit card. This year, visitors can also for the first time pre-load their balances before they even arrive, so they don’t have to spend time with this upon entry. When the festival ends, the remaining balance can simply be refunded to the card registered in the app.
“We recommend all visitors register their wristbands in the app, as it not only offers speedy services, but also provides extra security: registered wristbands can easily be deactivated if lost and more quickly replaced if damaged,” said Festipay CEO Dániel Kaderják. “Our integrated venue access and payment solution puts Sziget’s festivals on the forefront globally, from a technological standpoint,” he added.
“Bank cards registered in these applications are protected by Cellum’s patented technology, which offers industry-leading security. Wristbands can be topped up anytime with just a few taps of the finger, and the remaining balance can be easily refunded at the end of the event, without having to visit customer service,” said Cellum CEO János Kóka.