CAPE MAY POINT — Cash is passé, and digital beach tags may soon be an option for beachgoers in the 2027 summer season.
Commissioners are considering the My Beach Mobile app as an alternative for those without cash or a check. The app will not replace physical tags but exist as an alternative.
“We’re looking for a payment system that allows people who have come to the beach and do not have cash to be able to purchase beach tags,” Deputy Mayor Elise Geiger said Aug. 25. “Not that we’re doing away with our physical tags. We will always accept cash and check.”
Geiger said the borough does not have an in-house system for processing credit cards and has been looking at alternatives.
“Right now, all we do is send people to an ATM,” she said. “We’re now in a society where people do not carry cash and certainly, they do not carry checks and very often neither come to the beach.”
Beach tag program director Chris Garrison researched various options and interviewed different beach tag departments along the coast.
“We had a meeting with one of the principals and [CFO] Jim Kraft was there,” Geiger said.
The My Beach Mobile app is available for download and can be paid for by credit card. Geiger noted the app shows an activated QR code to the beach taggers. The tags automatically expire as appropriate, for daily, weekly and seasonal options.
“Stripe handles the payments and that money is deposited directly into the borough account,” Geiger said, noting that was a concern of Mayor Anita VanHeeswyk.
Using the app incurs no cost to the borough or setup charges.
“The purchaser who is using the service pays the fee for the convenience,” Geiger said. “A $10 tag is going to cost the user $11.36, with the borough always getting our $10.”
She said the company would provide training.”
Geiger added that she did not foresee any issues, especially among the younger, tech-savvy beach taggers.
“For next steps, if we’re all in agreement, we would then start to move forward with My Beach Mobile,” Geiger said, indicating she was not sure what level of contract would be required.
Geiger said she thought the daily tags were most likely to be purchased digitally.
“I applaud Chris, who took this on his own volition to find a solution,” Geiger said. “Sea Isle City is one of the [beaches] that has it here in the county. I think most Atlantic County beaches have this app and whoever uses it seems to be happy with it.”
VanHeeswyk said she was in favor of the option. Commissioner Suzanne Yunghans was absent from the meeting.
Beach update
As Labor Day dawns and the beach season ends, Geiger said the highlights included beach tag sales as of Aug. 24 being even with 2025 tag sales.
“Any tag sales we get in these last two weeks will be a plus versus 2025,” she said.
In September 2025, Geiger reported 2024 and 2025 had about the same amount of beach tags sold. She noted it was remarkably consistent from year to year.
“We’re doing well with retaining our taggers and guards for the final two weeks,” Geiger said. “The bonus program we put in seems to be having an impact. It’s certainly rewarding for those who stay.”
Beaches at Lehigh, St. Pete’s, Pearl and Brainard avenues will remain guarded until Labor Day, Sept. 7. The last day for taggers will be Sept. 4.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave