NEW YORK: Visa, official payment services partner of FIFA, on Friday released an analysis of spending patterns of consumers inside the stadiums that hosted the World Cup 2018 in Russia from the first game on June 14 to the semi-finals on July 11.
As per Visa, 50% of fans purchased goods or services at the grounds through its “contactless” payment systems in the form of credit/debit cards, mobile devices and wearables.
Visa had equipped stadiums with more than 3,500 point-of-sale terminals and 1,000 mobile concessionaires. It claims that its cardholders on an average spent 1,408 rubles (approximately $23.00) per transaction, with Russian fans spending the most, followed by United States and Mexico, respectively.
The ten countries whose fans spent the most inside the World Cup stadiums on their Visa cards were as follows:
Russia: 750 million rubles ($12 million)
United States: 188 million rubles ($3 million)
Mexico: 94 million rubles ($1.5 million)
China: 67 million rubles ($1.1 million)
Argentina: 41 million rubles ($700,000)
Peru: 35 million rubles ($560,000)
England: 34 million rubles ($550,000)
Brazil: 28 million rubles ($500,000)
Colombia: 26 million rubles ($420,000)
Australia: 25 million rubles ($400,000)
The largest average individual purchases were seen on in-stadium merchandise (4,200 rubles; approximately $68.00), Fan Fest merchandise (3,300 rubles; approximately $53.00) and in-stadium food and beverage (800 rubles; approximately $13.00).
The opening match on June 14 between Russia and Saudi Arabia, in which fans from 123 countries filled the stadium, saw the highest volume of payment transactions as they spend over 55 million rubles ($900,000). While, the July 1 match between Russia and Spain saw the second highest volume of transactions during the tournament.
On average, in-stadium transaction amount for all 62 matches was 1,168 rubles (approximately $19.00). Russian fans on average spent 1,090 rubles (approximately $18.00) on in-stadium purchases throughout the tournament while international guests attending the tournament spent 1,915 rubles (approximately $31.00).
“Visa’s sponsorships enable us to showcase the latest in payment innovation on a global stage,” Visa’s chief marketing and communications officer, Lynne Biggar, commented.
“Visa cardholder spending data during the FIFA World Cup illustrates the growth of contactless payments in Russia and fans’ reliance on quick and secure payments so that they can spend less time in line and more time focused on the pitch.”
“The Russian payment industry is undergoing a dynamic transformation and has seen huge growth,” said Ekaterina Petelina, country manager, Visa Russia.
“Through our partnership with FIFA, Visa is focused on providing fans in Russia with new ways to pay, while advancing our business in market.”
