César Iván Escalante Ruiz, head of the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco), announced a new agreement with Ocesa to eliminate the sale of cashless wristbands and put an end to the charge for refunds and preloads. This measure will be applied at events such as the Mexico City Grand Prix, NASCAR CUP 2025, Vive Latino, Tecate Emblema, Arre, Corona Capital, Flow Fest, and EDC Mexico 2025.
The agreement started with the EDC 2025 festival held from February 21 to 23 in Mexico City, where the charges for preloading and refunds were gradually removed. Escalante detailed that previously these services were charged, which generated dissatisfaction among consumers. Profeco also requested Ocesa to shorten the waiting time for refunds, which sometimes exceeded 10 days.
According to Escalante Ruiz, the implementation of cashless wristbands at events had a legal gap, as consumers had to pay to consume, including the return of their money. Profeco considered that in festivals and events, there should be no charge for exercising the right to consume.
After evaluating the situation of cashless wristbands, it was discovered that the bank providing the brand to the system was only acting as a sponsor. Therefore, it was agreed that Ocesa will no longer sell these devices at the events and festivals that are already operational.
