This article was written by Aiyanah Castaneda
Digital wallets have grown across national venues over the past decade, Northview’s local transition brings the cashless movement directly to the high school.
You may have noticed a major change: Concessions are now cashless. This means you must use a card or tap-to-pay to buy items–- cash will no longer be accepted. While opinions on the new policy vary, the shift to a cashless concession stand directly impacts every student, parent, and fan attending high school games. For many, digital payments mean faster lines and less time missed watching the action. However, for students without debit cards, bank accounts, or smartphones, the change creates a real hurdle to buying a simple snack—turning a minor administrative update into a daily accessibility issue for the school community. This change was implemented throughout the entire high school inside concession stands and outside But as students and families adjust to the new policy, questions remain over whether the shift is actually making concessions more efficient or simply creating new roadblocks for cash reliant buyers.
To find out, we surveyed several high school students in their English classes about their ordering and checkout experiences at the concessions. While faster lines were the goal, the shift has sparked immediate pushback from families, particularly regarding younger students.
The primary concern is kids managing sensitive payment methods. One student noted their parental anxieties with giving their personal cards to children not responsible.
“Parents don’t want to give their younger kids their credit card when going to football games or basketball games,” one respondent said.
Beyond the risk of handing over sensitive credit cards, students reported that families simply want the freedom to use physical cash when they have it.
“They aren’t a fan of only online payment when they have cash they would like to use.” one respondent said.
Survey results reflect this friction. While 66.7% of students noted it was clear beforehand that concessions were cashless, the policy is relatively more relaxed. 25% of students reported being less likely to buy concessions moving forward.
While most transactions went smoothly, 16.7% of students ran into technical headaches.
“Sometimes the card is locked or the card reader says ‘error’ and you have to try again.” one respondent said.
The high school’s cashless shift may have silenced the cash aspect, but it hasn’t silenced the debate. While digital sales were meant to make life easier, technical glitches and student options prove that going 100% digital comes with a cost. For now, the verdict from the stands is mixed, proving that when it comes to everyday high school traditions, redirecting how people pay changes everyday usage of cash and cards.
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