Enabling secure contactless payments and digital ID verification via wearable gadgets: 1,000 selected staff and VIP guests tested wearables payments at the 2023 Rugby World Cup

DIGISEQ partners with global fintech company Unlimit to bring contactless prepaid key fobs and access control to 1,000 World Rugby guests at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. DIGISEQ’s fast-growing momentum comes amid an exciting time for wearables as they break into the mainstream market, and are expected to have a market value of $171.38bn by 2032, a projected growth of more than $150 billion.  

DIGISEQ, the wearable payments tech pioneer, has today revealed details of a partnership with global fintech company Unlimit that gave attendees of  the Rugby World Cup more choice in how they pay, through contactless crystalised key fobs preloaded with funds and incorporating a balance check function.

„DIGISEQ’s wearable tech was used by 1,000 selected staff and VIP guests of partners Capgemini, Jaguar Land Rover, and Asahi Beer to pay for everyday expenses at the Rugby World Cup, through branded key fobs preloaded with funds to enable quick and secure contactless payments inside and outside the venue. Wearable items were also provided to mascots and their families to demonstrate the benefits and ease of use of the technology.” according to the press release.

„Despite receiving short notice from organising body World Rugby of the need to provide frictionless payment tech for partner guests, DIGISEQ and Unlimit worked together to integrate DIGISEQ’s trailblazing wearable tech with prepaid accounts from Unlimit’s Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution, which the fintech company was able to deliver within a week. DIGISEQ’s secure and fast-track services, combined with Unlimit’s agile prepaid account capabilities, meant that the items were delivered on time for the start of the Rugby World Cup.” the company explains.

Users could use their wearable item to pay for items inside and outside the various Rugby World Cup venues at any retail or food or beverage outfit accepting Mastercard, and also check the balance of available funds by simply tapping the fob against their smart mobile device to get an onscreen balance.

DIGISEQ’s Rugby World Cup partnership is the latest high-profile use case for the company’s technology, following its deployment at the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final in Turkey and the 2023 Roland Garros tennis tournament in France. At both events, DIGISEQ produced branded contactless key fobs with pre-loaded funds to be spent on-site, whilst providing guests with access control in the venue.

Iain Case, Solution Integration Manager says: „We’re delighted to have showcased the limitless possibilities of our wearable technology solution with our partners at the Rugby World Cup. DIGISEQ’s innovative use of wearable tech is opening the gateway to countless exciting and immersive experiences for millions of sports fans, all of which are now easily accessible through wearable gadgets that effortlessly travel with them.
“Our technology has already been embraced by financial super app, Curve, high-end brands like Philippe Starck, and other significant events like the 2020 Golden Globes Awards. Incentivized by several recent successful adoptions of our solution to create extraordinary fan experiences, we are starting to witness growing interest from sports clubs and venue operators, who have recognized the advantages of enabling secure contactless payments and digital ID verification via wearable gadgets.”

Jovi Overo, Unlimit Director, says: “Bringing seamless payment solutions to the market is central to what we do at Unlimit. We are excited to have partnered with DIGISEQ, a forward-thinking company passionate about delivering the very best products, to create a truly one-of-a-kind experience for match day fans at this year’s Rugby World Cup through wearable tech. Despite the short notice, we were able to deliver the technology quickly and get it on the wrists of fans for the start of the tournament. This new activation not only simplifies the payment experience but opens new opportunities for other brands and events in the future.”

DIGISEQ’s wearable tech is speeding up venue entry times, and creating faster footfall at sales points with quick contactless transactions that eliminate the need for fans to carry cash, with real-time transaction data helping venues to create valuable marketing insights to draw fans closer while also boosting revenues. 

DIGISEQ’s mobile personalisation and tokenisation ensures all provisioned payment data is fully protected, with contactless transactions secured in the same way as card or phone NFC payments. By promoting use of wearable tech, brands, banks, and issuers can reduce their reliance on producing plastic cards, as DIGISEQ handles the over-the-air personalisation and payment enablement of the wearable item from end to end, saving banks and original equipment manufacturers vast amounts of time and money. Additionally, this also helps to significantly reduce the amount of plastic used for cards, improving environmental and sustainability efforts. 

DIGISEQ’s ground-breaking technology is revolutionising wearable payments by allowing consumers to register and activate their own item using their payment card, through DIGISEQ’s Manage MiiTM mobile app, which can be white-labelled with the branding of its clients, essentially making it an invisible payments partner.  

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Founded in 2009, Unlimit is a global fintech company that offers a large portfolio of financial services, including payment processing, banking as a service (BaaS), and an on-ramp fiat solution for crypto, DeFi, and GameFi. The company’s mission is to deliver solutions that eliminate financial borders, enabling businesses to operate both locally and internationally with ease across Europe, the UK, LatAm, APAC, India, and Africa. Unlimit has 500 employees across 16 offices and five continents, including London, Frankfurt, Singapore, São Paulo, Hong Kong, and Mexico.