PYMNTS Daily Data Dive: Visa NFC Goes For The Gold

The countdown to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio is on – and before any medals are handed out, Visa has decided to hand out some rings. Visa is the exclusive payment provider for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, a job it has held for the last 30 years.

Special NFC chip-enabled rings (the chip was built by Gemalto) will make payment possible at any NFC terminal, and the items are getting a special Olympic rollout on the fingers of the competitors themselves. So what are the vital stats?

1.2 million | Visa’s projection for how many additional trips to Brazil will happen this year because of the Olympics.

400,000-500,000 | The number of international visitors expected to go to Rio in August.

4,000 | The number of NFC-enabled POS terminals Visa will implement across Olympic venues in Rio.

50 meters | The depth (~164 feet) for which a Visa NFC ring is water resistant.

45 | The number of international Olympic Team Visa hopefuls whom Visa has given rings.