et ready for the debit wristband. Not so much jewelry as a bankcard on a wrist, the PayPass contactless prototype got "tapped" repeatedly by fans at Giants Stadium Sept. 10.

MasterCard Worldwide gave prepaid devices worth $25 apiece to the first 5,000 spectators to enter the stadium. And to coincide with that promotion, it sent prepaid wristbands to news outlets, including The Green Sheet.

While the company hasn't committed to launching the form factor, the response from Giants fans makes it likely that a wearable debit or prepaid PayPass device will be launched in the U.S. market. The Green Sheet, however, found some kinks may still need to be worked out.

MasterCard wanted to test the wearable band at an event where people would be less inclined to carry handbags or a lot of cash, according to Cathleen Conforti, MasterCard Senior Vice President. "I can't think of a better venue than a stadium" to try out a form factor that replaces cash, she said.

When attendees have just minutes to grab snacks, wearing payment devices on their wrists does away with fishing in bags and wallets for cards and cash.

Giants' Stadium did nearly $120,000 in "free money" business during the sold-out event, and the devices were well-received, according to Peter Kullman, Corporate Sales Manager for the New York Giants. "MasterCard accomplished their goal of the technology working in a very large setting - 80,000 people," he said.

Fast swag

With such a throng, and only six in 100 attendees lucky enough to snag the swag, it was crucial the devices not hold up food lines. Giants' stadium began accepting MasterCard's contactless cards in 2005, Conforti said. "Their staff is already familiar with PayPass." Concessions staffers received extra training the night before. They viewed a video that taught them to credit $25 toward concession purchases and accept cash to pay balances beyond that amount, she said.

MasterCard's voluntary survey confirmed that fans were pleased with the experience. Band usage was 95.2%, generating over 8,000 transactions. Of the 300 users who completed surveys, over 80% rated the experience excellent, and 99% rated it excellent or good, Conforti said.

And 87% said they definitely would want a wristband if their bank offered one. The need for convenience and speed were common denominators for choosing places where they would use such a device: grocery stores, gas stations, events, amusement parks and beaches. Eighty-three percent said the wristband was easier and quicker to use than cash.

Real world experience

Whereas the Stadium's concessionaires were fully briefed on the bands, one PayPass-enabled merchant was stumped by them, as The Green Sheet's experience illustrated.

When our General Manager Kate Gillespie took the device to a local McDonald's restaurant, ordered milkshakes for the staff and presented the wristband for payment, confusion ensued. The device had come with no instructions, beyond information about the $25 preloaded value.

The restaurant server did not know the PayPass-enabled terminal accepted contactless payments, having used it only to swipe cards, Gillespie said. "The manager had never heard of PayPass," she said.

Gillespie chose the "debit" option when cued by the terminal. The transaction was declined, and the server cancelled out the entire order. She chose "credit" on the second go-round. Rather than permitting the purchase of $25 and allowing her to pay cash for the remainder, the transaction was again declined. She therefore reduced her order, which brought the total to under $25. On the third try, she again selected credit, and the payment was processed smoothly.

PayPass merchants are not expected to recognize devices not available in the market, according to MasterCard. And fast food servers may be unfamiliar with PayPass because employees last three months on average; managers stay only a year, Conforti said.

"We are working with merchants on a national, regional and local basis on training, once they agree to accept [PayPass enabled] cards," she said. The company also does follow-up training, using tools such as instructional videos.

Until contactless technology is well known and understood, customers will encounter a range of good and bad experiences with new form factors, Conforti said.