Eye on Stadium Pay: Shift4 Expands Its Portfolio; Cheq Checks in With the Miami Dolphins

Sports stadiums and entertainment venues continue to be a major focus for Shift4 Payments Inc. On Tuesday, the processor announced it will provide payment processing and online ordering for food and beverage concessions, as well as retail sales, at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, home of the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans. Shift4 will install its VenueNext point-of-sale system, which includes mobile- ordering and mobile-wallet integration, throughout the stadium beginning July 30, when the stadium hosts professional wrestling’s WWE Summerslam event.  

“Shift4’s … technology will make purchasing food, beverage, and merchandise seamless and easy for all events at the stadium,” Gil Beverly, the Titan’s senior vice president, chief marketing, and revenue officer, says in a statement. “Shift4’s integrated-commerce solutions enhance the customer experience at more than 100 sporting venues across the U.S., and we look forward to delivering their state-of-the-art technology for our fans this season.”

Other arenas where Shift4 has installed digital payments capability in the past year include Audi Field in Washington D.C., Petco Park in San Diego, the United Center in Chicago, and T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

In related news, Cheq Inc., provider of a social POS and mobile- ordering platform, has become the official mobile-ordering and delivery partner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and their home field, Hard Rock Stadium.

Beginning with the start of the 2022 NFL season later this year, Cheq will enable mobile ordering throughout the stadium and in-seat delivery in select sections. Self-service kiosks will be placed in high-traffic locations to help reduce lines and wait times. Cheq’s technology can reduce concession wait times by more than 30 minutes, increase average ticket sizes by 28%, increase order speeds more than twofold, and reduce labor costs by half, the company says.

The social POS element of Cheq’s ordering-and-payment app, which can be used by restaurants, cafés, and bars, as well as stadiums, leverages the company’s partnerships with local restaurants and bars to enable consumers to pay for food and drinks and then send them directly to their friends’ tables.

“We are excited to partner with Cheq to enhance our fan experience through their proven track record of innovation and technology in large-scale sports venues,” Jeremy Walls, chief revenue officer for the Miami Dolphins and Hard Rock Stadium, says in a prepared statement. “We are a global entertainment destination designed to host big events, and working with Cheq to reduce wait times and increase efficiency will serve us well moving forward.”