WILLIAMSBURG — Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA have announced in an email sent to customers and in-park messaging that both will go cashless as of May 11.
“It’s one more way we can help to provide you with a more streamlined and worry-free experience,” the parks said on their websites, noting cashless transactions are “faster, safer, and more secure.”
According to explainers on the websites for both parks, visitors will be able to pay by swiping or tapping credit or debit cards wherever they would typically use cash. Using Apple Pay or Google Pay on a smart device is also available. The parks accept American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa credit cards and most debit cards.
For those lacking a card, cash-to-card kiosks have been located throughout the parks that will allow visitors to transfer cash to a Visa prepaid debit card, the parks said. The prepaid cards may be used both in the park or anywhere Visa is accepted in the United States, meaning visitors aren’t locked into spending money they added to the cards on-premises.
Visitors will not be charged a fee to transfer cash to a card or to use it for payment and may load up to $500 on to one Visa prepaid debit card at a time. There is no minimum amount required. There are no fees associated with regular use of the cards, however, the parks warn that the cards will incur a fee of $3.95 per month from the card issuer after 92 consecutive days with no transactions.
The parks stressed no personal information is necessary or collected to load cash onto the Visa prepaid debit cards.
Users can check balances on the cards at any cash-to-card kiosk during their visit, by visiting rcbalance.com, or by calling the number on the back of the card at any time, according to the parks.
Locations of the kiosks can be found on park maps or in the Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA mobile apps starting May 11.
