Identity, Security, Payments, Biometrics, Smart Cards and Authentication News

Redskin fans can FLO into stadium

Monday, August 4, 2008

The Washington Redskins have partnered with FLO Corp. to offer fans quicker entry into FedExField. The three-year deal with the football team will also enable participants to take advantage of expedited security processing at Reagan National, Dulles and other major U.S. airports. This is FLO’s first partnership outside of an airport, but the company is working on relationships with other organizations.

Redskin fans participating in the program will be issued a collectible Redskins branded card and will be able to quickly enter the stadium through dedicated “Fast Lane” stadium gates. Fans will not have to verify their biometric before gaining access to the stadium. Neither the Redskins or FLO saw any added value in using the biometric. In order to use the expedited security lanes at the airports a cardholder must present either a fingerprint or iris biometric for authentication.


A one-year membership, which includes the Redskins Fast Lane card, rtGOSM Registered Traveler services at airports and additional benefits loaded into the card costs $100. FedExField, the home of the Washington Redskins, is the NFL’s largest stadium, with the ability to hold as many as 92,000 fans.

Redskins branded FLO cardholders also receive a 10% discount on all purchases at Washington Redskin Official Team Stores. It is possible to preregister and have the chance to win Redskin tickets, autographed merchandise and access to exclusive “FLO-only” Redskins events. A portion of every card sold will benefit The Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation. [end] 

First Data has announced that it is partnering with Poland’s Gospodarczy Bank Wielkopolski to deliver contactless payment to KKS Lech Poznan soccer fans.

First Data will provide card issuing and processing services for the deployment of MasterCard’s new PayPass Fan Card, which can be used to make contactless payments and ATM cash withdrawals, pay for public transit and stadium parking and retain a fan’s season tickets.

read more »

Romanian bank BRD, a unit of Société Générale, has selected Oberthur Technologies to supply multi-application payment cards. These cards have payment scheme applications, as well as the ability to host transport, access control, PKI or biometric apps.

read more »

The RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest, an annual outdoor music festival that takes place each July in downtown Ottawa, Canada, is adopting RFID technology to innovate with access control and cashless payment systems.

read more »

Orange has announced the debut of its M-Stadium mobile contactless ticketing project with the Stade Malherbe Caen.

Led by Orange’s research facility in Caen, the M-Stadium project uses mobile contactless technology to cover a spectators’ entire stadium experience, from buying and using e-tickets to reading interactive tags in and around the venue.

read more »

Nationals Parks, home for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball, has initiated a pilot program where season ticket holders will each have their tickets delivered in the form of a smart card embedded with an RFID chip, according to Sports Business Daily.

read more »

The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival with help from Intellitix, an RFID technology provider for live events, added an online audience of more than 30 million last month when over 30,000 fans registered to “Live Click” around the festival site.

read more »