"Fastbreak" cards make debut at NFL game this Sunday

A concept that has worked outside sports venues will make its debut
this Sunday
night during the St. Louis Rams vs Baltimore Ravens NFL game. Fans
will be able
to buy prepaid "fastbreak" cards that will allow them to get in a
special line for
concessions and hopefully allow them to get their beer etc. faster
without having
to fumble around for change. Fans will not have to pay anything extra
for the
cards, just the face value. The Rams hope to make money off the
cards by selling ad space and earning interest on the money fans pay
before they spend it.

The key is that the cards, unlike credit and debit cards, don't need
to be scanned by devices connected to a central database. It isn't
cost-effective to set up
such scanners where they would be needed in lots of places - the
Rams's stadium
has 300 concession outlets - but not for many business hours. The
Fastbreak cards are scanned by devices that read the balance on the
card, then electronically "burn" in a new balance after a purchase.

The idea was copied from a "cashless" soccer stadium in the
Netherlands where
it has been well received.

If successful in this game on Sunday look for many other teams to copy
the
concept - and we will probably have a new collectable item that will
show
up on Ebay in the future.