Losing your wallet at any event is fear-inducing and guaranteed to make your heart and mind race, but this year the Roots N Blues N BBQ festival has remedied your wallet woes by introducing a cashless system.
This system uses an RFID wristband that festivalgoers will be given in lieu of a paper ticket. This innovation replaces both the ticket and the wallet as well. Festivalgoers will be able to use their wristband to pay for food and merchandise. Once a good is purchased, buyers will receive an email receipt and a readout of their festival account balance. While the RFID wristbands are intended to simplify the festival experience, here are four quick tips to have a smooth cashless experience:
_Register your RFID wristband immediately:_
Once you purchase your Roots N Blues N BBQ ticket, you will be sent an RFID wristband. On the festival’s website, you can click the “cashless payments” tab and register your wristband and then link the wristband to your credit or debit card. While the Roots N Blues N BBQ website notes that you do not have to register your wristband, keep in mind this important caveat — by registering and linking your wristband, you are ensuring the wristband’s replacement if it happens to get lost or damaged (and yes, the wristbands are waterproof).
_“Topping-up” before you go:_
After linking the wristband, you will then have the ability to “top-up” your account, which allows you to connect a credit or debit card to the wristband. The feature lets you add specific amounts of money at a time, enabling complete and conscious control of your festival account. If you are adverse to linking a credit or debit card online, there are a few stations inside the festival which will allow cash to be put onto your wristband; these will be called “top-up” stations.
_Know the limits:_
While the RFID technology is convenient, there are two points to keep in mind. According to Roots N Blues N BBQ’s website, wristband holders will not be able to split payments between each other; only one wristband can open and close a single purchase. Additionally, credit cannot be transferred from one wristband to another. While these may seem restricting, the wristbands are set up in a way to assure that you have full responsibility of your own account.
_Download the festival app for ease:_
Roots N Blues N BBQ has a free, user-friendly app where you can access the weekend’s schedule, glance at the all-inclusive map, purchase tickets, receive festival notifications and answer questions you have concerning your RFID wristband.
_Edited by Brooke Collier | bcollier@themaneater.com_