Testaankoop criticizes cashless payment systems at music festivals

The consumer organization Testaankoop is calling for greater transparency and fairness regarding cashless payment systems used at music festivals in Belgium. Following investigations conducted last summer, the group identified systematic issues with how visitors are billed.

A primary concern is the widespread use of mandatory digital tokens, such as Tomorrowland’s ‘Pearls’ or Rock Werchter’s ‘Coins’. These systems often use complex exchange rates that make it difficult for attendees to track their spending. A recent survey revealed that 64 percent of participants find it harder to manage their budget when using festival-specific credits.

Testaankoop highlighted that while some festivals like Ronquières and Paradise City successfully use direct Euro payments, others create unnecessary complexity. For example, at Tomorrowland, credits are sold in increments of 20 Euros for 10.5 Pearls, while individual items are priced in fractions of those tokens. Additionally, the organization criticized the high fees charged for refunding remaining balances. These findings have been submitted to the Economic Inspection for further investigation.