Visa to launch innovative payment services for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

By Leandra Monteiro

As the world awaits the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, Visa, the Official Payment Technology Partner of FIFA, has readied a payments network that will enable contactless purchases throughout all official venues, including eight stadiums and the FIFA Fan Festival™.

With more than one million fans expected to travel to Qatar for the tournament, Visa has installed 5,300 contactless-enabled payment terminals at official FIFA venues, making FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ the most payment-enabled FIFA tournament ever. Visa will also trial new payment innovations to give fans easy access to simple and secure digital ways to pay.

Visa will bring a number of digital payment solutions to Qatar, including several limited pilots to demonstrate how future Visa payment solutions may come to life:

• Pay with Your Face: Marking the first-time it will be used for payments in Qatar, facial recognition technology is a collaboration between Qatar National Bank (QNB) and POP ID and supported by Visa via tokenization. The solution allows customers to authenticate payments using just their face, without a physical card or mobile phone after initial enrollment. It will be piloted at three Flat White Specialty Coffee branches.
• Card Art Gets Animated: As consumers become more accustomed to getting things instantaneously, Visa is piloting a digital card issuance solution for limited cardholders in Doha. After simply scanning a QR code, a digital prepaid card will be instantly issued and can be added to a mobile wallet. The digital card will feature animated card art, with the official mascot La’eeb, demonstrating a future in which consumers could bring greater personalization and even digital animation to their Visa cards.
• Accepting Payments Gets Simpler for SMBs: In partnership with three Qatar-based banks the Visa Tap to Phone solution is now available to merchants in Qatar who want to fast-track their ability to accept digital payments in advance of the expected tourist influx. Visa Tap to Phone makes it easier for merchants to use their Android NFC-enabled devices they already own to accept contactless payments—simply by downloading an app.
• Tap to Ride Around Doha: Keeping traffic flowing smoothly during FIFA World Cup™ has been a top priority and Visa, in partnership with Qatar’s Ministry of Transport, is enabling contactless payment acceptance on taxis so fans and Qatari residents will be able pay for their trips with their Visa card or smartphone, making paying for their journeys in and around Doha faster and more convenient.

Dr. Saeeda Jaffar, Senior Vice President and Group Country Manager for GCC at Visa, said, “As FIFA’s long-standing partner, Visa wants to give football fans from around the world the best way to pay in Qatar, while experiencing exciting new innovations such as the fusion of art, football and technology at Visa’s Masters of Movement venue. With thousands of contactless payment terminals, FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ promises to be the most payment-enabled FIFA tournament ever for the more than one million fans coming to enjoy the magic of football.”

In addition to providing the latest in payments innovations at official FIFA venues, Visa seeks ways to further its commitment to uplift lives through the power of sport through programs such as Financial Football, a video game that combines entertainment and education in an action-packed virtual football tournament.