New York City FC Announces Paze◊ Online Checkout from Early Warning as the First Founding Partner of Etihad Park
QUEENS, NY – Dec. 16, 2025 – New York City FC and Early Warning Services today announced a multi-year partnership naming PazeSM the first Founding Partner of Etihad Park and the Official Online Checkout and Official Digital Wallet of New York City FC.
Paze is a fast and convenient online checkout solution that offers added security through tokenization, where actual card numbers are not shared with merchants. Developed by Early Warning Services, Paze is aimed at e-commerce use and is offered by the nation’s leading banks and credit unions consumers already know.
As the Official Online Checkout of New York City FC and Etihad Park, Paze will be showcased on club channels and throughout the venue, including the newly named PazeSM City Square. The partnership begins in 2026, allowing both organizations to activate and engage well ahead of the new stadium’s 2027 opening.
“Etihad Park is going to be a game changer for soccer in New York City and the United States. It will be a future-forward venue focused on providing an unparalleled matchday experience before you even enter our doors, and Paze is going to play a vital role in helping us realize this goal,” said Brad Sims, New York City FC CEO. “Paze will help us enhance the fan experience for everyone inside Etihad Park with their innovative product. We cannot wait to welcome everyone when Etihad Park and Paze City Square open in 2027.”
Among its many functions as a flexible area on both matchdays and non-matchdays, Paze City Square will be home to the “Five Boroughs Food Hall,” which will feature the diverse flavors from across the five boroughs via local vendors and suppliers for fans to enjoy. On non-matchdays, Paze City Square will be open to the community and accessible through entrances on public walkways.
“Etihad Park represents the future of live sports experiences, and we’re excited that Paze will be a part of that vision from day one,” said Serge Elkiner, general manager, Paze. “Paze City Square will bring fans, local merchants and innovation together in one truly dynamic space. Our role is to simplify checkout – making it fast, frictionless, and with added security – so fans can focus on what matters most: the match and the moments around it.”
Etihad Park will be the country’s first fully electric outdoor sports stadium, with a seating capacity of 25,000. Privately funded and constructed entirely by union labor, the project anchors a larger 23-acre neighborhood development at Willets Point, Queens, featuring 2,500 new affordable housing units, a 650-seat public school, a brand-new hotel, and more than 150,000 square feet of public open space.
Fans interested in securing their seats at Etihad Park’s inaugural season in 2027 can visit etihadpark.com for more information.
KLUTCH Sports Group and its Global Partnerships Division, led by Andrew Feinberg, is the agency of record for New York City FC’s Founding Partnerships at Etihad Park.
About New York City FC
New York City FC is an American professional soccer team that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Eastern Conference of the League. It was announced as the League's 20th franchise on May 21, 2013 and is the first and only MLS club located within the five boroughs of New York City. New York City FC kicked off its inaugural MLS season in March 2015 and is majority owned by City Football Group (CFG). In 2021, New York City FC won MLS Cup in the Club's first ever appearance, becoming the first professional sports franchise based in New York to win a championship in a decade. In 2022, New York City FC added to its trophy cabinet by winning Campeones Cup, the annual clash between the champions of MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX.
New York City FC's affiliate team, New York City FC II, plays in MLS NEXT Pro, a professional soccer league that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT, the youth academies associated with MLS, through to MLS, the top U.S. domestic league. New York City FC II plays their home matches in Belson Stadium at St. John’s University in Queens, NY and at Icahn Stadium in Randall's Island. New York City FC's Academy currently features teams from the U-12 to U-18 age groups and became the first Academy in the country to win back-to-back national titles at the U-19 level.
New York City FC proudly supports City in the Community (CITC) foundation to use the power of soccer to uplift communities. One of the programs, New York City Soccer Initiative (NYCSI), is a first-of-its-kind public-private community partnership to open 50 mini-soccer pitches in NYC neighborhoods in five years. In 2021, NYCSI opened its 50th pitch and committed to install 26 more mini-pitches across NYC in the lead up to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ which will be hosted across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
About Paze
Paze is a reimagined online checkout solution that banks and credit unions offer to consumers and merchants, combining all eligible debit and credit cards into a single wallet and eliminating manual card entry. Solving long-standing challenges in e-commerce, Paze provides an easy experience for consumers and merchants alike. More than 150 million credit and debit cards have been added to the Paze checkout solution. To learn more about Paze, visit www.paze.com. Paze is operated by Early Warning Services, LLC, an innovator in financial and risk management solutions. PazeSM and the PazeSM related marks are wholly owned by Early Warning Services, LLC and are used herein under license.