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.
The Werkself's training camp in Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog you'll find all the insights and updates from the day. Day three (Tuesday 4 August) begins with a thorough open session on the pitch. After lunch, some players have media engagements at the team hotel, and then the team come together for a barbecue in the evening.
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Nine matches against teams from nine countries, two penalty shoot-outs won, and encounters that went far beyond football: As with last year, the Inklusionswerkself enjoyed an extraordinary week at the Genuine Cup 2026 in Houston, USA, and made memories that will last a lifetime. This year, the Leverkusen side took part as Germany’s official representatives and, accordingly, took to the pitch in Germany kit. Together with 53 teams from 53 nations, the Black and Reds once again sent a powerful message of inclusion and participation – and also impressed on the pitch by winning their group.
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The Werkself training camp in the Weimarer Land all in one place: in our daily blog, you’ll find all the insights and updates from the day. The programme for day two (Monday, 3 August) centres on two training sessions – one in the morning (open to the public) and one in the early evening (behind closed doors) – at the nearby training grounds. In the afternoon, fans can look forward to a big fan meet-up with club legend Paulo Sergio at Schloss Blankenhain.
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“Say hello to the Werkself!” – With this request, Loïc Bade gathers everybody in front of his GoPro: Including team-mates like Ibrahim Maza, Lucas Vázquez, Aleix Garcia and Ernest Poku, or Bayer 04 CEO Fernando Carro, head coach Carles Martínez, or even the reception team at the Spa & GolfResort Weimarer Land. In between, there are glimpses of the pool area and the Werkself’s team quarters. Enjoy!
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