Why Pool Is The Crowd-Pleasing Tool For Cashless Concession Stands

Everyone knows where to find you this school year. You're running the concession stand at games and events. Serving yummy fare and convincing fans to buy spirit gear is fun.

But you're not just serving up the best concessions in town. You've got your finger on the pulse. You know, cash isn't the best way to pay for concession stand expenses anymore. Cash is hard to keep track of and even easier to lose.

Plus, cash isn't a hygienic choice on event days. Moreover, it takes longer to exchange and can be lifted when you're not looking. If cash doesn't cut it anymore, what does? Pool.

It's a fresh new way to run your cashless concession stand conveniently, accurately, and securely. Keep reading to see how Pool works and how to set yours up today.

What is Pool?

If there were a draft for cashless concession stand apps, the analysts would be talking about Pool. With Pool, you don't transfer "my money" or "your money." With Pool, you have a dedicated place to collect, manage, and spend "our money" with multiple collaborative users. How's that for teamwork?

It's ideal when you need to share expenses, like concession supplies, food, and merchandise. Pool is a tech-savvy solution for events, too. Accept cash-free payments for concessions directly into your Pool.

Fans like it because they spend less time waiting in line and more time watching the game.

Why you should have a cashless concession stand

It's understandable if you're on the fence about going cashless. Cash has been the preferred tender at concession stands for decades. But while fans still want concessions, they're changing how they pay. According to the Federal Reserve's 2026 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, cash accounted for just 14% of all consumer payments in 2024 — trailing both credit and debit cards.

Therefore, it only makes sense to give concession stand customers a payment method consistent with how they already spend money: cards, apps, and mobile banking. With Pool, you can.

You'll be in fantastic company: National Football League stadiums and nearly all Major League Baseball ballparks in the U.S. are cash-free.

Why Pool is the best concession stand payment option

Going cash-free is a welcomed change with Pool:

1. Automatic and accurate transactions: With cash boxes, you must count exact change, which is complicated and prone to error. Pool does it for you.
2. Faster service: No one wants to miss a great play because they're standing in a long concession line. With Pool, Pool Links speed up transactions and get people back to their seats faster. Keep reading to learn all about Pool Links.
3. Secure transactions: Cash is easy to lose or lift. But with Pool, payments and personal information are encrypted end-to-end using SSL 256-bit encryption.
4. Higher revenue: Pool Link payments are simple and easy, so people are more likely to make multiple purchases at the same event. Ka-ching!
5. More customers: At Boise State's Albertsons Stadium, more than 75% of fans were already paying by card before the venue went cashless — meaning cash-only stands were turning away the majority of their potential customers. Offer Pool as a cash-free payment method and capture every sale.
6. Happier attendees: When you choose Pool to streamline and speed up concession stand transactions, you contribute to a fantastic event. Parents can dash to your concession stand without missing their child's first slam dunk or touchdown.

Is there another app for concession stands?

Pool isn't the only option for your concession stand, but it's the easiest and most cost-effective. Take Fanfood, for example. It's like Grubhub and delivers concessions to your seat at the venue. But it earns revenue by billing venues for installation. It also takes an undisclosed cut of the concession stand's income.

Plus, it doesn't just charge $3 for in-seat delivery. It charges customers $1 to pick up their orders. To top it off, payment processing fees range from 1.5% to 3.5% on every transaction. What about Venmo for concession stands?

According to Venmo, this popular app does not belong at your concession stand. Venmo users can't use the app to accept payment from another user for a good or service unless explicitly authorized by Venmo or if they have a business account.

Pool doesn't work that way. You can always accept payments for menu or merchandise items.

How to collect concession payments with Pool

Collecting payments for concessions is easy with Pool. All you need is a Pool Link — a unique link that comes with every Pool. Here's how they work.

Personalize your Pool Link

Your Pool Link is customizable and can say precisely what you want. This way, people know what they are tapping on and where it's taking them. For example, your Pool Link can say "Poolmoney.com/p/Tigers-Concession-Stand" or "Poolmoney.com/p/Amherst-Football-Concessions."

You can choose your color palette, upload an image, and provide a brief description, listing the prices of your most popular items and thanking customers for their business.

Share your Pool Link

Pool Links make payments fast, secure, and straightforward. Generate a QR code for your Pool Link so people can scan it with their mobile devices and pay directly into your Pool. You can also text or email your Pool Link or post it on social media.

Do concession stands take debit cards?

When you use Pool, people can use your Pool Link to pay via debit card. They don't need to sign up or create a Pool account — they only need your Pool Link to pay with a debit card for free.

How to set up Pool and run a successful concession stand

You now know how easy it is to purchase concessions with Pool Links. Here's how to get your Pool ready for events.

1. Create your free Pool at Poolmoney.com — We don't check your credit history or report anything to the credit bureaus. We need to verify your identity, but it only takes a few minutes online. Once completed, you're free to use Pool.
2. Manage your Pool with other concession stand team members — Unlike popular peer-to-peer money-transferring apps like Venmo, Pool is designed for multiple users. To share your Pool, send others an invitation link to join so they can become admins with you. Once they sign up at Poolmoney.com, they can accept your invitation and share admin tasks with you. These include viewing the Pool and checking the balance at any time, tracking contributions, and spending Pool funds with the Pool card.
3. Share concession stand expenses — Use your Pool to buy what you need to purchase supplies, food, or new signage. You don't need to transfer funds to a bank account to spend them. You can spend Pool funds directly using your free digital Pool debit card wherever Visa is accepted. You can order a physical card, too. With zero transaction fees, maintenance fees, or overdraft fees, you can spend 100% of your Pool funds to cover concession stand expenses. If you need to transfer Pool funds to a bank account, use your Pool account and routing number. It's that simple. With Pool, you don't have to worry about transferring money back and forth between personal accounts, misplacing cash, or losing receipts. Everything happens in the Pool.

What is in a concession stand?

If you're getting ready to start your first concession stand, you probably have some questions: What concession equipment do I need? How much does it cost to get a booth up and running?

Before ending this post, we thought we'd provide answers, along with suggested amounts to collect into your Pool.

• Booth: Should you spend money on your booth and signage? Aren't people coming for the food? Yes, but when a stand looks rundown, people might think the food is low quality. A nice-looking booth can attract people and increase sales. Suggested Pool amount: $1,000–$7,000
• Equipment: High-quality, durable equipment is safe and efficient. Plus, it looks better to prospective customers. Suggested Pool amount: $6,000
• Supplies: You need napkins, straws, cups, lids, and carrier trays. You'll also need to keep a regular budget for these supplies. Suggested Pool amount: $300
• Food: Serve fans the honest-to-goodness fare they expect: popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, pretzels, roasted nuts, snow cones, corn dogs, ice cream, etc. Because food is an ongoing and regular expense, you'll need a recurring budget. Suggested Pool amount: $400
• Merchandise: Are you selling school spirit gear at your booth too? You'll need a Pool for that. Suggested Pool amount: $300
• Space and permit fees: Check local regulations for space and permit fees, especially if you take your concession stand on the road. Pool funds with other organizers to cover these expenses.

Concession stands are a fun way to participate in school and community events. With more people expecting cash-free payment options, it only makes sense to use Pool. With Pool, every transaction is quick, hygienic, and secure at your cashless concession stand.