CASHLESS STRAWBERRY
Once again, Strawberry Fields is going cashless!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
What Is A Cashless Festival? How Does It Work At The Event?
At a cashless festival, you pay with an RFID wristband rather than cash or a credit card. A cashless system is safer and allows you to be served a lot quicker - no more lost wallets or cash!
The cashless system also enables us to integrate the Rewash Revolution into Strawberry Fields Festival - a reusable crockery initiative that reduces single use plastic/ waste and reduces our impact on the environment.
How do I get my wristband?
You will be issued with your wristband upon entry to site or a SF Bus by showing your Legal ID and valid ticket.
Your wristband is NOW your wallet.
The wristband you get at the gates or before boarding your SF Bus will have a small RFID chip inside - this is your digital wallet. Make sure to take a photo or make a note of the number on the back of the plastic RFID token as you will need this to claim a refund post-festival on any funds you haven’t used.
Add credit at the Top Up Station or online in advance of the event.
Top Up Stations are located in the Strawberry Fields Central Market area. You can top up using either:
Cash (kiosk only)
Card (self-serve screens or kiosk) - card transactions incur a 1.1% platform fee
Online in advance of the event. - 1.1% platform fee for online top up
Simply tap your wristband to buy food, drink or retail items across the festival.
No need to worry about coins, change or carrying around your wallet. Cash WILL NOT be accepted by any vendors at the event.
Show your Vehicle Pass & ID at the In-person Cashless Top-up Hub to receive:
1x RFID FREE BMF Drug/ Alcohol Test Token (scan and claim at the BMF stall)
1x RFID Recycle Refund Token to claim 10x berries for a full bag of recycling returned (scan and claim at Recycle Refund Hubs)
Scroll below to read Cashless FAQs.
Cashless FAQS
WHERE CAN I TOP UP MY WRISTBAND DURING THE FESTIVAL?
Head over to the Cashless Top Up Hub in the Market Area to use our self-service kiosks or in person top up services.
WHEN ARE TOP-UP STATIONS OPEN?
In person top ups are available at the Cashless Top Up Hub in the Market Area during the following hours:
Thursday 19th: 2pm-midnight
Friday 20th: 8am-midnight
Saturday 21st: 8am-midnight
Sunday 22nd: 8am-midnight
Monday 23rd: 8am-2pm
There will also be self-service kiosks that will operate 24/7 until the event finishes.
CAN I USE CASH OR EFTPOS TO TOP UP?
Absolutely 👀 Our staff will accept cash and EFTPOS while the self-service kiosk will only accept EFTPOS.
CAN TWO PEOPLE SPLIT A PAYMENT ON TWO WRISTBANDS?
To keep transaction lines moving fast and prevent card errors, we can only accept one wristband per purchase ✋ Make sure whoever is tapping has enough balance loaded!
CAN I TRANSFER CREDITS FROM MY WRISTBAND TO A MATE’S?
Unfortunately, no. Wristband balances are non-transferable between attendees on-site.
WHAT CAN I BUY WITH MY WRISTBAND CREDIT?
Your wristband pays for everything across the festival site—delicious food, drinks, experiences, market stalls, and official merch.
CAN I STILL USE CASH OR CARD TO PAY FOR THINGS?
No - Strawberry Fields is 100% cashless. This means you load “Berries” onto your festival wristband in order to be able to pay for things across the festival.
Cash and card WILL NOT be accepted by any vendors at the event.
WHAT ARE BERRIES?
“Berries” are the Strawberry Fields Festival currency. All sales points across the festival accept Berries. $1 AUD = 1 Berry.
CAN I PRE-LOAD BERRIES ONTO MY WRISTBAND BEFORE ARRIVING?
Yes! Before the gates open, we’ll post a link to the Fever Marketplace on the Strawberry Fields website, where you can select a pre-load pack. Once purchased, your pre-load pack will show up in your Fever App or email confirmation. Have it downloaded and ready on your phone before you hit the road so you can redeem it on-site.
I BOUGHT BERRIES IN ADVANCE, HOW DO I REDEEM THEM?
Once you’re through the gates and settled, stroll over to Cashless Top Up HQ where our self-service kiosks will be or look for a festival staff member. Show your Fever App voucher or email confirmation, tap your wristband, and your pre-loaded balance will instantly transfer to your chip.
CAN I TRANSFER A PRE-LOAD PACK TO A FRIEND?
Yep! Just like a ticket transfer, you can send your pre-load pack to a mate through the Fever app (up to a maximum of 2 times).
ARE THERE ANY TOP-UP OR ACTIVATION FEES?
If you lose your wristband, you lose the balance of your RFID Wallet. Your wristband is also what signifies your ability to be inside of the festival. So treat it as an item of the utmost value - don’t lose it!
WHAT IF I HAVE A VEHICLE PASS?
During your wristband activation, show your Vehicle Pass & ID at the In-person Cashless Top-up Hub to receive:
1x RFID FREE BMF Drug/ Alcohol Test Token (scan and claim at the BMF stall)
1x RFID Recycle Refund Token to claim 10x berries for a full bag of recycling returned (scan and claim at Recycle Refund Hubs)
These tokens will be loaded onto your wristband.
WHY AM I CHARGED AN EXTRA 5 BERRIES WHEN I PURCHASE FOOD?
Don’t worry! This is just a deposit.
In order to drastically reduce single use waste, we are bringing back the Rewash Revolution to Strawberry Fields.
This means every piece of crockery used at the festival is washed and reused.
When you buy a meal, you will be charged a 5 Berry deposit per item of crockery in addition to the cost of your meal.
When you’ve finished, simply drop off your crockery at the wash station in the market area or the Helper Huts in the campgrounds and your deposit will be immediately loaded back onto your wristband.
CAN I RETURN CROCKERY THAT I DIDN’T USE?
Absolutely. If you clean up after other people, you get their 5 Berries loaded onto your wristband! Score.
CAN SOMEONE STEAL MY MONEY USING A CONTACTLESS SCANNER?
Not a chance 🔒 Your funds are totally safe. Wristbands use encrypted RFID chips that only communicate with official, approved festival devices. They cannot be skimmed or scanned remotely.
HOW DO I CHECK MY REMAINING BALANCE WITHOUT TOPPING UP?
Easy! You can scan your band at any 24/7 self-service kiosk, or ask any staff member holding a Fever Cashless reader to tap your wristband for a quick balance check.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I LOSE OR BREAK MY WRISTBAND?
Act fast! 🚨 Head straight to Cashless Top Up HQ to report it lost or stolen. Our team can instantly deactivate your old chip, issue you a replacement wristband, and re-link your account.
We can't restore any funds spent before you reported the band missing, so let our crew know as soon as you notice it's gone!
WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT MY WRISTBAND AT THE EVENT?
Look out for one of our friendly staff at the Cashless Top Up Hub in the Market area who can assist you with your wristband.
CAN I GET A REFUND OF UNSPENT BERRIES?
Of course! Just don’t throw your wristband away! After the festival, you can get a full refund of your remaining credit (no matter what the amount!) by visiting the Strawberry Fields Cashless page on the website, clicking on the link to the refund portal and using your unique RFID ID number (the number on the back of the token on your wristband).
No transaction fees are charged, and you get the full remaining balance refunded to your account.
Please note, refunds are strictly processed online after the event during the declared claim window—no refunds are given on-site.
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO MAKE A REFUND REQUEST?
Refund requests must be made within 7 days of the refund portal opening post event.
The refund portal will be open from 9am Tuesday 24th November, and close at 9am on Tuesday 1st December.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I MISS THE REFUND WINDOW?
Refund requests MUST be submitted before the post-festival refund deadline closes. Once that window shuts, remaining balances are finalized and can no longer be claimed, so don't sleep on it!
Any unclaimed funds go towards supporting local community grants for causes and charities and SF sustainability initiatives.
GOT MORE QUESTIONS ABOUT CASHLESS?
Please contact admin@festivalcurrency.com