All change as the County Ground becomes a cashless venue

Supporters will no longer be able to use cash for payments at Wantage Road, whether it be for a cup of tea, a pint of beer, match tickets or a shirt from the club shop.

All concessions within the ground, from refreshment kiosks to the club shop and ticket office, will now only be able to accept card payments, and that will be for cricket matches, concerts and all events held at the venue in future.

Supporters are also being encouraged to use contactless payments whenever possible.

The new system comes into immediate effect ahead of the County Ground welcoming back spectators for the first time in 20 months when Northants take on Lancashire in the LV= Insurance County Championship, the match starting on Thursday.

“Becoming a cashless venue has been on the club’s radar for a couple of years now and I’m pleased we’ve been able to take this step ahead of the return of spectators this week,” said chief executive Ray Payne.

“There are a number of positives that come with the switch, particularly around the safety of our staff and fans in the current situation and that’s always our top priority.”

Northamptonshire’s operations manager Jonathan Taylor explained how the club feels going cashless will benefit supporters, and help improve their experience at Wantage Road.

“Card based payments and particularly contactless are just so much faster than paying with cash," he said.

"This means we’re able to cut down on the time it takes to serve each customer and improve that experience in the venue, it should really help with queues on busy nights like the Vitality Blast.”