Sports fans in Omaha will find something new at their favorite venues this spring: none of the facilities will accept cash, only mobile payments and credit cards. The facilities decided to limit person-to-person contact by having customers use cards or mobile payments at concession stands, ticket windows and other purchase points, according to a report in the Omaha World-Herald.

This change was instituted during the pandemic at CHI Health Center and TD Ameritrade Park, both of which are managed by the Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority and both of which have opened with limited attendance.

Instead of waiting online for food and drinks, people can choose to pull up a menu from the concession stand on their smartphone, place an order directly from their mobile device and pick up their food from a designated location.

But there's still an option for those who mistakenly bring cash to the events. The venues all have a "reverse ATM" and a customer can use the touchscreen kiosk, feed the cash to the machine and receive a Visa debit card to use at the venue. There is no fee to convert cash, and if a customer still has a balance once they are leaving the venue the card can be used anywhere that accepts Visa.

Four machines are currently in the convention center and arena, two of which will move to the ballpark once the Creighton baseball season begins.

The CHI Health Center will host the NSAA state wrestling tournament later this month, the NCAA volleyball tournament in April and the College World Series and U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in June.