News

Iowa State Fair mandates payment card acceptance

February 14, 2019

Starting in 2020, all food and drink vendors at the Iowa State Fair will be required to accept credit and debit cards, in addition to cash, as payment.

According to a report by the Des Moines Register, more than half of the vendors at the state fair — one of the nation's largest — already accept electronic payment through First Data Clover POS devices. In addition to payment via card, the system also accepts mobile wallet payments through Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay.

Approximately 30 ATMs are dotted across the fairgrounds, and those will remain in place, the report said. Fair officials said their goal was not necessarily to discourage cash use, but rather to give fairgoers the option to pay by whatever method they prefer.

"It will also eliminate the surprise to find that a vendor does not take credit or debit cards after standing in line," a spokesperson told the Register.