NationsBank Stored Value Card Keyed to NFL Team

NationsBank Corp. will issue a stored value card for fans of the National Football League's Carolina Panthers to use at Ericsson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Designed as an alternative to cash, Fantastic Plastic will store money on an embedded computer chip. The cards will be accepted for food, beverage and merchandise purchases at the stadium and at the Panthers Team Store in Charlotte.

"It's a great opportunity for marketing, visibility, and to extend the use of technology," said Eileen M. Friars, president of NationsBank Card Services.

The bank is one of three piloting VisaCash at the Olympics in Atlanta this summer. Ms. Friars said Fantastic Plastic, a NationsBank brand, can be used in other venues. The system can also be converted to an open architecture, like VisaCash.

Diebold Inc., based in Canton, Ohio, will supply and install more than 200 card terminals. Schlumberger Smart Cards and Systems, Chesapeake, Va., will supply the cards.

In April 1995, First Union Corp. launched a similar program at Jaguar Stadium, home of the NFL team in Jacksonville, Fla.

The NationsBank cards will be available in $20, $50, and $100 denominations and will be good throughout the Panthers' 1996-1997 home season.

Ms. Friars said the cards, which feature Panthers' players and the mascot, will be collectible. If fans collect all four, the backs of the cards form a puzzle featuring Ericsson Stadium. They will be available starting with the first regular season game.

A fifth card is to feature a Carolina Panthers helmet against a backdrop of Panther fans. It will be on sale at NationsBank centers in Charlotte beginning July 22.

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, click here.
MORE FROM AMERICAN BANKER