Going Cashless at Your Event? Your 2025 Guide to Choosing the Right System

So, you’re considering going cashless for your event. The first image that probably springs to mind is a glorious one: your attendees breezing through queues, grabbing a pint or a bite to eat in seconds, and spending more time enjoying the atmosphere you’ve worked so hard to create.

While faster transactions are a huge plus, they're really just the tip of the iceberg.  Choosing the right cashless system can fundamentally transform your event. It can become the central nervous system of your entire operation, providing you with powerful financial control, unlocking data that helps you plan more effectively, and significantly enhancing your security.

Today’s attendees expect slick, digital experiences. At the same time, sponsors are asking for hard data to justify their investment. And let’s be honest, the operational headache of managing mountains of physical cash—with all its risks of theft, miscounts, and security logistics—is a compelling reason to leave coins and notes in the past.

But the world of event technology can feel complex. RFID, NFC, Open-Loop, Closed-Loop, QR Codes… what does it all mean for your independent food fair, music festival, or conference?

Don’t worry. This guide is here to demystify the landscape. We’ll break down the core concepts, explore the various types of solutions available, and provide a simple framework to help you choose the perfect fit for your unique event.

The Big Decision: Open-Loop vs. Closed-Loop Systems

Before you even look at a single vendor, you need to make one fundamental choice. This isn’t just about technology; it’s a core business decision that will shape your event’s entire financial model and the experience you offer your guests.

What is a Closed-Loop System?

Think of a closed-loop system as creating your very own private event currency. In this model, attendees pay for everything using a dedicated, event-specific wristband or card, which they "top up" with funds beforehand or at stations on-site.  This is the classic model used by many large-scale music festivals.

• The Pros: The biggest advantage is total control. You get a complete, detailed picture of every single transaction, showing you which vendors are smashing it, when your peak sales times are, and what your attendees love to buy.  This data is gold. Crucially, studies have shown this model can increase average attendee spending by 15-40%.  Why? Because of the psychological effect of spending pre-loaded credits rather than "real money."  Best of all, these systems are champions of offline reliability. Because the funds are already on the wristband, transactions can happen instantly without any internet connection, with the data synced up later.

  
  

• The Cons: This model requires a little more effort from your attendees. They need to get their heads around the idea of topping up their account and then applying for a refund for any unspent funds after the event.

  
  

• Best for: Multi-day festivals, immersive experiences, and any event held in a location with patchy or non-existent internet.

  
  

What is an Open-Loop System?

An open-loop system is the opposite. It doesn't create a new currency; it simply accepts the ones your attendees already have in their pockets. Think tap-to-pay with debit/credit cards, as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.  You essentially equip your vendors with modern, contactless card readers.

• The Pros: The number one benefit is convenience. It’s completely familiar to your guests. There’s no new system to learn, no account to create, no topping up, and no refunds to worry about. This makes it incredibly low-friction for everyone involved.

  
  

• The Cons: The trade-off for that convenience is data and control. The detailed transaction data belongs to the payment processor (the bank or card network), not you. These systems are also completely dependent on a stable internet or mobile data connection to authorise payments in real-time, which can be a massive point of failure at many event sites.

  
  

• Best for: Single-day urban markets, conferences, and events held in venues with rock-solid, reliable internet.

  
  

What About Hybrid Systems?

As the name suggests, a hybrid system aims to offer the best of both worlds. It equips vendors to accept payments from both closed-loop sources (such as an event wristband) and open-loop sources (like a credit card). This provides maximum flexibility for attendees, but can make things a little more complex for vendors who need to be trained on handling both payment flows.

The Technology Behind the Tap

Underpinning these systems are a few key technologies that make the magic happen.

• RFID/NFC (Radio Frequency Identification / Near Field Communication): This is the "tap-to-pay" technology that powers most closed-loop wristbands.  An RFID tag with a tiny microchip is embedded in the wristband, enabling lightning-fast, secure transactions without requiring a direct line of sight. It’s the undisputed speed king for high-volume environments like bars and food stalls.

  
  

• QR Codes (Quick Response Codes): These familiar two-dimensional barcodes are the flexible friend of event tech. They can be scanned by any smartphone to link to a payment page, pull up a menu for ordering, or simply provide information. Their main advantage is the incredibly low cost—you can generate them for free and print them on a piece of paper.

  
  

• Mobile POS (mPOS): This simply refers to the software and hardware that turns a regular smartphone or tablet into a fully-fledged till. Companies like Square and SumUp provide portable card readers that connect to a device, allowing vendors to accept open-loop payments.

  
  

The All-Important Offline Question

This is arguably the single most critical feature to consider for any event not held in a well-connected city centre. We’ve all been there: you’re in a field or a large venue, and your phone signal vanishes as the network gets overloaded. An open-loop system that relies on the internet for every transaction becomes a significant liability. This is where closed-loop RFID systems, which can process payments entirely offline, remain the gold standard for reliability.

A Quick Look at the Solutions on the Market for Cashless Event Solutions

The cashless event market is home to numerous innovative companies, which generally fall into a few key categories.

All-in-One Closed-Loop Partners

These are the full-service providers who offer a complete, managed solution. They handle everything from hardware and software to project management and on-site support.  Companies like

Weezevent in Europe, PouchNATION in Southeast Asia, and WRSTBND in North America fall into this category. This is the perfect option for organisers who want a turnkey, "peace of mind" service and have the budget for a high-touch partnership.

DIY Platforms & Disruptors

At the other end of the spectrum are platforms that unbundle the service. They provide the core software and let you source your own commodity hardware, like tablets and USB readers. A great example is

RFIDify, which charges a small per-transaction fee, dramatically lowers the barrier to entry. This is a fantastic path for more tech-savvy organisers on a tighter budget who are happy to be more hands-on.

The Open-Loop Giants

These are the familiar names you see in shops and cafes everywhere, like

Square and SumUp. Their appeal is simplicity, transparent fees, and user-friendly hardware. A game-changing feature from

Square offers an offline payment mode, which allows its terminals to store card payments when the internet is unavailable and process them later.  This makes them a much more viable option for events with less-than-perfect connectivity.

Mobile-First & QR Code Innovators

A new breed of provider is ditching specialised hardware altogether. Solutions like FesteaPay in Europe use QR codes to create a seamless "scan-to-order-and-pay" experience. Attendees scan a code at a table or stall, browse a menu on their own phone, place an order, and pay directly. They then get a notification when it's ready for collection at an express lane. This model can slash both ordering and payment queues with almost zero hardware cost.

How to Choose: A 5-Step Framework for Your Event

Feeling clearer? Good. Now, let’s find the right path for you. Before you even talk to a vendor, ask yourself these five fundamental questions.

1. What is the reality of my venue's connectivity? Be brutally honest. If you're in a rural field or a concrete basement with a bad signal, a solution with proven offline capability is non-negotiable. This immediately points you towards a closed-loop RFID system or an open-loop provider, such as Square, with a robust offline mode.

   
   

2. What is the scale and duration of my event? The needs of a three-hour food fair are vastly different from a three-day camping festival. The longer and more immersive the event, the stronger the case for a closed-loop system becomes, as attendees have more time to adapt and the benefits of the data are magnified.

   
   

3. What is my budget for technology? Full-service closed-loop systems involve costs for hardware rental, software, and support. If the budget is tight, QR code-based systems or DIY platforms like RFIDify are your most viable path, as they require minimal investment in specialised hardware.

   
   

4. What is my data ambition? Do you just want to take payments, or do you want to gather strategic intelligence? If you want to track spending, identify popular vendors, and provide sponsors with concrete ROI data, you’ll need the powerful reporting capabilities that come with a closed-loop system or a sophisticated POS platform.

   
   

5. Who is my audience? Are they a tech-savvy crowd with mobile wallets at the ready, or would they prefer the simplicity of a pre-loaded wristband?  Crucially, will some attendees be cash-dependent? If so, you must plan for cash-to-card or cash-to-wristband top-up stations to ensure everyone can be served.

   
   

Thinking Beyond Payments: The Future is Integrated

Choosing a cashless provider isn't just a logistical decision. The most forward-thinking event organisers know that the payment system is just one part of a much bigger puzzle: the overall attendee experience.

The best solutions don't just process transactions; they integrate across the entire event lifecycle. They provide the data that helps you create personalised offers, demonstrate clear value to your partners, and build a genuine, lasting connection with your audience long after the gates have closed.

This is about more than just cutting queues. It's about turning a simple payment into an opportunity for engagement and loyalty.

And once you have your payment system, you can tie it into a loyalty solution, such as meed, which can encourage people to spend more and enable vendors to sell more.