Wristbands Only For Purchases At Festival International
No cash. No tickets. You will only be able to purchase drinks and merchandise at Festival International this year if you have a wristband. And it needs to be loaded.
Registration for the RFID wristband payment system began April 13. Essentially, it's like having your wallet on your wrist. You decide how much money to load onto it. When you want to buy a drink or an official Festival International souvenir, you double-tap the band at the vendor booth and the amount you spend comes off your account.
If you decide not to get a wristband before festival or if you need to load more money onto your wristband during the five-day event, you simply head to what they are calling the "top-off" booths. You can get one or load it up!
If you have money left in your wristband account after Festival International is over, you can get it refunded to your bank account. However, be advised that there is a $5 fee for refunds!
Festival organizers say the ticket system was inaccurate and cumbersome. They say some other vendors are also participating in the electronic payment system.
Plan to leave your wallet at home and, literally, strap on the cash!