14 million Benfica fans can now buy tickets and merch with their favourite cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
Portuguese champions S.L. Benfica has become the first major European football club to accept cryptocurrency payments. Partnering with UTRUST, club supporters now have the option to use cryptocurrency to purchase match tickets and the full range of merchandise through the official Benfica online store.
With more than 14 million supporters worldwide, and a global, digital fan base that exceeds 7 million across social media platforms, S.L. Benfica is one of the world’s most passionately-supported football clubs and recently reclaimed the Primeira Liga title for a record 37th time, underpinning its status as the most decorated club in Portugal. The launch of UTRUST as a cryptocurrency payment solution partner will evolve the club’s ecommerce strategy and expand its global audience, in particular, bringing tech-savvy supporters and cryptocurrency holders in Portugal and abroad closer to its home ground of the Estádio da Luz.
UTRUST’s core technology will allow Benfica to take advantage of the increased security and convenience of cryptocurrency payments while protecting the club from market volatility. They say that it will also significantly reduce processing fees and eliminate inconvenient credit-card chargebacks and fraudulent payments. Most importantly, the club will be able to settle payments directly to its bank in fiat currency (Euros) on the very same day they are received.
“This is an exciting day in the history of S.L. Benfica as we announce our decision to accept cryptocurrency payments. Our benfiquistas make Benfica the unique and special club it is and we recognize that many of our supporters are now digital users first so we want to be ahead of the curve when it comes to adopting novel technologies and giving our supporters the best online experience. We are very excited about the possibilities that this partnership with UTRUST presents in the evolution of our e-commerce strategy and we look forward to accepting our first cryptocurrency payment.”
– Domingos Soares de Oliveira, CEO, S.L. Benfica
The official Benfica online store has already begun accepting cryptocurrency and supporters can purchase tickets, clothing and all other merchandise via their desktop website, mobile or dedicated app.
“This partnership with Portugal’s number one football club marks a major milestone for UTRUST and the blockchain ecosystem as a whole. Benfica is one of the biggest sporting clubs worldwide and we are delighted to be making cryptocurrency payments possible for their 14 million supporters around the world.”
– Nuno Correia, Co-Founder and CEO, UTRUST
