The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has decided not to oppose Stadium Australia's proposal to offer contactless payment services at ANZ Stadium to holders of a Visa payWave contactless card, on the grounds that it is in the public interest.
A contactless card is embedded with a radio chip which allows the holder to pass their card in front of a contactless payment reader to complete a transaction, without swiping or dipping the card through or into a machine.
Under this proposal, Stadium Australia will also introduce 'swipe or dip' processing facilities with all Visa and MasterCard payment systems accepted (excluding MasterCard PayPass).
The ACCC had previously issued a draft notice opposing the arrangement on 27 November 2008.
"Since the draft notice, the ACCC has obtained further information which indicates that the exclusive arrangement, which would operate for three years, is required to enable investment in credit card facility infrastructure," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said.
"Without the exclusive arrangement, cash would continue to be the only payment option at ANZ Stadium. The ACCC considers that the arrangement will lead to public benefit by increasing the payment options of consumers and introducing new technology at ANZ Stadium."
"The ACCC remains of the view that the arrangement will have an effect on competition between card networks, and will also affect consumer choice in respect of contactless payment options. However, consumers at ANZ Stadium will still have the option of paying for their food and beverages with cash, and will now have the option of paying with Visa or MasterCard by swipe or dip."
Mr Samuel said on balance, the ACCC is satisfied that the benefits of the notified conduct outweigh these detriments.
This decision means that the ACCC will not issue a notice revoking Stadium Australia's notification at this time. The ACCC can review this decision at any time.
Businesses may obtain protection in relation to conduct that might be at risk of breaching the exclusive dealing provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 by lodging a notification with the ACCC.
More information regarding the notification and a copy of the draft notice will be available from the ACCC's website, www.accc.gov.au.
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