Why is Cedar Point going cashless?

Editor's note: Justin Dietz is a Register correspondent representing CPFoodBlog.com and @CPFoodBlog on Twitter. SANDUSKY — Cedar Point opens this weekend and, when it does, it will be cashless for all transactions in the park. For most people who carry debit or credit cards, this will not present an issue. Simply swipe your card like you normally would. But for those that are used to carrying cash for purchases, let's take a deep dive into the myths and facts about going cashless at Cedar Point: Q: How are we supposed to pay for items if we do not carry debit or credit cards? A: For guests that do not have the ability to use a Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express credit card, most debit cards are still accepted at Cedar Point. For guests with a mobile phone enabled with Apple Pay or Google Pay, the park is outfitted to take those payments as well. Throughout the park, Cedar Point will also provide cash to card kiosks. Simply insert your cash into the machine, and you will receive a pre-loaded Visa card for use around the park. Q: Is there a fee to load cash onto a card? A: No. Guests can load as little as $5 and as much as $500 onto the pre-paid Visa cards. There is no fee to load money onto the cards or use it. The cards can be used both inside the park and anywhere outside the park that Visa is accepted. Grocery store. Check. Gas station. Check. The only time a fee is charged is if the card sits idle for 92 consecutive days, a $3.95 per month fee is charged or until the balance is exhausted. Q: What happens if I only have a 27-cent balance on my card? A: The pre-paid Visa cards are not reloadable. Therefore, guests can pay for the bill using what is left on the card, and a separate pre-paid VISA card will have to be loaded to pay the remaining balance. Q: How am I supposed to tip my bartenders or servers? A: For guests visiting the resort restaurants or even places like Chickie's & Pete's or Johnny Rockets inside Cedar Point, tipping will not be an issue since the bill will all be handled in one transaction. But the servers and bartenders will likely be most appreciative of a cash tip outside of paying for the bill with a contactless form of payment. Q: Why is Cedar Point going cashless? A: The big reason Cedar Fair, parent company of Cedar Point, is going cashless at all of its parks is it minimizes the need for cash control. Collecting all of the cash on-site, counting, transporting and managing a constant influx of dollars and coins is a massive manpower operation. This helps the parks better use staff for other areas around the park. On the rare circumstances, the new cashless system helps minimize the passing of counterfeit money and theft that may occur. When guests pay for items — like food, beverage or merchandise around the park — paying by cash traditionally takes longer than contact-less transactions. In addition, there is less chance of error having an associate count out the correct change. This also helps eliminate the need for the associates to be responsible for accuracy in their cash drawer. It is inevitable for any associate to have mismatched cash in a given drawer at the end of the day versus what was rung through the register. After hundreds of transactions, even with careful accounting, a drawer could be off at the end of the day. Depending on the employer, sometimes they hold the associate responsible for the discrepancy if it is too far beyond the average. Overall the cashless system eliminates a lot of the concerns of handling cash. Q: What are the potential pitfalls of Cedar Point going cashless? A: For some guests that forget to use a Visa card after they leave the property, sure there is a potential that the balance will get eaten up in fees. Just remember to use the card as you would anywhere else. Many guests use cash to manage their cash flow and set limits without the need to monitor spending, like a credit or debit card. This could result in some guests spending more than they normally like. Only put as much as you anticipate spending in the park on the cards to help with budget control and overspending. The biggest caveat we foresee is when the guest does not have enough money loaded onto their Visa card when approaching the register. The payment process is often the biggest hold back when trying to get through a line at a restaurant. Now when a guest does not have enough money on their pre-paid card, where do they go? For those that plan out their spending and are aware of the balances on their card(s), they will not have an issue. But for the guest that needs to get a new card due to lack of balance on their existing card, where is the nearest machine? Meanwhile, the line backs up. Or worse for the park, the guest leaves, the food gets disposed of in the trash, and the whole process was wasted. Perhaps the biggest benefit for guests both on and off rides is guests will not need to worry about having a pocket full of change, and it coming loose while riding an attraction. While there definitely are some strong opinions on both sides of the argument, hopefully, having a lighter wallet means you gain that extra momentum to go faster on the roller coasters.