São Paulo FC Now Accepts Cryptocurrency for Game Tickets

São Paulo, a Brazilian football club, announced today, May 26, 2022, that it would begin accepting cryptocurrencies as payment for tickets from its fans. The newly added payment method will be facilitated by the cryptocurrency exchange Bitso, which also is one of the club’s official sponsors.

The crypto payment option will be available for all games hosted at home by São Paulo, whether at Morumbi or another stadium.

Eduardo Toni, the executive marketing director for São Paulo, said offering more payment options to fans is a crucial step towards modernizing Morumbi stadium and making cryptocurrency more accessible for everyone.

He said:

We are excited to launch this pioneering initiative and offer an innovative experience to São Paulo. São Paulo has always had innovation in its DNA.

However, the crypto payment option is exclusive to registered supporters who already received their membership cards.

To purchase a ticket with cryptocurrency, supporter members have two options. The fan may go through the usual payment route on the Total Acesso website or via the Bitso app after registering on the exchange as a customer.

Bitso is Latin America’s leading crypto exchange. On Jan 8, 2022, they entered a partnership with São Paulo Futebol Clube (SPFC) to sponsor the club for three years. The alliance made Bitso the first crypto exchange to sponsor SPFC.

The sponsorship agreement was part of Bitso’s strategy to raise awareness of the benefits of crypto and expand into the Brazilian market. With a customer base of over 3.7 million, Bitso is well established in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia.