The open payment system at the BayArena in Leverkusen is based on commercially available money cards. This means the card and the funds on it remain with the fan and the balance does not go to an account run by the club. Any spectator can visit the BayArena and use their own bank card (providing it has a payment function) to make payments at the stadium, for example at a Currywurst stand.
In contrast to closed systems, nobody is forced to use a BayArena Card issued by the club. Many away fans use the card to have a souvenir of the visit to our club. Between 50 and 80 per cent of away supporters use cards other than the BayArena Card. This is usually their own bank card. With the open payment system, the balance is irrelevant as it can be used on 420,000 payment points in Germany (e.g. parking meters or in shops). In contrast to closed systems we have no access to the money loaded on the card. The expiry date and number of cards used only have a cost -related impact on Bayer 04 as the cards with payment functions are significantly more expensive to produce. Also cards in closed systems are only valid for four years for regulatory reasons.
This service costs us significant amounts of money each year. This investment is made to offer our fans and visiting supporters a fair system where they can use money left over outside the stadium at countless other payment points. For example, that means our BayArena Card can be used to buy an underground ticket.
This completely excludes the "sleeping Euro" that negatively affects football fans and supposedly brings money into the club's. On the contrary, Bayer 04 Leverkusen stand for an open, fair and service-oriented payment system.
On Monday evening, 8 June, around 250 people came to the Bürgerhaus Baumberg at the invitation of Bayer 04 to find out details of the new plans for the campus on Alfred-Nobel-Straße at an information event. More compact, greener and with many advantages for Monheim am Rhein - those are the aims. There were lively discussions for around three hours and some misunderstandings were cleared up.
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Werkself player Montrell Culbreath and Bayer 04 loanee Francis Onyeka are part of Germany's final squad for the U19 European Championships this summer. The tournament is in Wales from 24 June to 12 July.
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When Malik Tillman arrived at Bayer 04 Leverkusen from PSV Eindhoven last summer, he did more than just add attacking midfield strength to the team — he reconnected the club with a unique and understated American lineage that stretches back more than three decades.
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Bayer 04 are away to third-division club SV Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round of the 2026/27 DFB Pokal. That was the outcome of the draw on Saturday night, 6 June, at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. The Werkself first round tie will be played between 21 and 24 August. The exact date has yet to be finalised.
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Carles Martìnez is raring to go. The 42-year-old speaks in his first interview in Leverkusen about the club's development to date and how he wants to build on it. He describes his previous work in France, Kuwait, Qatar and his native Barcelona, his experience in developing young players, and the key steps between now and the start of pre-season training.
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