PayPal has expanded beyond the traditional ecommerce payments transaction, and nowhere is that more evident than with a new deal in entered into with the Phoenix Suns basketball team.
Fans of the team will be able to pay with PayPal when buying tickets, merchandise, concessions, and more, and they’ll be able to pay in various contexts – online, in-store or in-app.
“Today, we are announcing a the most comprehensive sports partnership PayPal has to date: a new collaboration that will enhance the Phoenix Suns fan experience ecosystem to create a more seamless payment process throughout the customer journey,” PayPal said in last week’s announcement.
The deal covers PayPal, Venmo, PayPal Here card readers, in-app payments, and PayPal Credit.
For instance, PayPal will outfit the Suns’ concession and merchandise stands with PayPal Here card readers that accept credit, debit, or tap-to-pay mobile payments – allowing fans to pay however they choose. And season ticket members will be able to use PayPal Credit, allowing them to pay the full balance over time.
The deal comes as PayPal’s former parent eBay transitions away from using PayPal to manage payments processing and turns to other companies – notably Adyen and Square – to offer services such as financing to sellers.
PayPal will also have an opportunity to learn from the partnership, revealing: “This agreement also includes the development of an innovation lab to develop new Phoenix Suns fan-friendly services and revolutionize how fans interact with teams when making purchases in-arena, online or, in-app.”
