Why UK organisers are ready to take control with closed-loop cashless

By Tim Holmes, Head of Business Operations, Kaboodle (Weezevent)

The UK festival market has largely moved away from cash. Tapping to pay is no longer a novelty; it is an expectation.

While the UK has embraced cashless payments, it has largely stopped at the first step. Across the world, many of the biggest festivals now rely on closed-loop payment systems as their standard operating model. So if closed-loop systems are already proven at the world’s largest events, why is the UK still hesitant?

Open vs closed loop: what’s the difference?

Open-loop systems allow attendees to pay with their usual methods: bank cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay. It is the same experience as on the high street, which explains its popularity. It’s familiar and requires little explanation.

Closed-loop systems take a different approach. Attendees pay using an event-issued medium, typically an RFID wristband or badge, which can be topped up before or during the event. Transactions are instant, contactless and continue to work even when connectivity drops.

The differences between these systems go beyond the payment device. Open-loop systems treat the event as another retail environment, while closed-loop systems turn payments into infrastructure designed specifically for live events.

A perception shaped by the past

Much of the UK’s hesitation can be traced back to a highly publicised deployment in 2015. Technical issues led to queues, frustration and national headlines. For many organisers, it became the defining reference point for closed-loop technology.

The reality is that those early systems belonged to a different technological era. They relied heavily on connectivity, used less robust hardware and required more steps from the user. Today’s closed-loop platforms are built specifically for temporary, high-density event environments. Transactions operate offline, hardware is designed for speed and durability, and most top-ups are completed online before gates even open.

The benefits of closed-loop payments

Proven at scale

Some of the world’s biggest events rely on closed-loop payments. Festivals such as

Boomtown, Tomorrowland, Hellfest and Lollapalooza use these systems to run complex, high-volume operations with confidence. The reason for this is closed-loop payments unlock value that open-loop systems cannot:

• Transactions are significantly faster, saving five to ten seconds per payment, roughly a 20% gain in processing time. Across thousands of small, high-volume transactions, this translates directly to shorter queues, smoother service and higher on-site spend.
• Transactions are written directly to the wristband, meaning they continue to work without a live internet connection.

Attendees have already accepted these systems into their experience. Around 90% of top-ups are completed online, and 80% of festivalgoers top up 3 times or fewer. The idea that top-ups create a pain point for festivalgoers is sorely outdated.

Enhancing on-site revenue

Closed-loop systems change the financial logic of an event. All transactions flow through a single infrastructure, making settlement and revenue-sharing agreements with traders transparent and secure.

Additionally, around 15% of top-ups typically remain unspent at the end of a festival. Rather than being lost value, these balances create a final commercial window that can be used to start the following year’s ticketing cycle or to drive last-chance purchases. Closed-loop systems generate additional value, while open-loop remains a pure processing cost.

Data that reshapes strategy

Closed-loop gives organisers greater understanding of their audience, as up to 93% of food, beverage and merchandise turnover can be linked to identified attendees, revealing the real structure of spending.

At some festivals, the top 20% of buyers can represent 45% of total F&B revenue. For sold-out events, this insight is critical. It shifts the objective from simply selling out to attracting and retaining the most valuable attendees, through targeted presales. With a significant share of UK festivals facing financial pressure, this level of understanding is no longer optional.

Other strategic and operational gains

Closed-loop infrastructure creates a direct, persistent link between the organiser and the audience. Around half of festivalgoers download the official app primarily to manage their cashless wallet, making payments the main driver of app adoption. What begins as a transaction tool quickly becomes a year-round communication channel, used for announcements, loyalty campaigns, early-bird sales and new services such as gamification or click-and-collect.

A strategic choice for the UK market

In most markets, closed-loop is now seen as a competitive advantage. In the UK, it is still too often viewed as a risk based on outdated references. Closed-loop cashless gives organisers direct control over one of their most important revenue streams, along with the data and tools needed to optimise it.

The question is no longer whether the model works. It is whether UK organisers are ready to take back control of the economics of their own events.

At Weezevent, we offer open and closed-loop solutions to some of Europe’s most renowned festivals. Get in touch to explore the full range of options for your next event –