Cash App Pay Is Now Available Through haku: Why Payment Choice Matters for Gen Z

‍Reviewed: September 2026

A runner sees your race in a social feed, taps through on a phone, and decides to register. They fill out the information that you need to get them set up to participate in your upcoming event, but the participant journey can’t move onto the next phase until that runner can pay.

That final step can be a point of friction as more of the endurance market gets younger and more mobile. New haku data shows that Gen Z is already reshaping participation, registration timing, and event revenue. Payment choice needs to keep pace with the changing face of the Endurance world. 

That’s just one of the reasons Cash App Pay is now available for eligible US endurance registration experiences through haku. It gives eligible participants another way to complete registration using a Cash App balance or linked debit card. On mobile, the participant is redirected to Cash App to authorize the payment. On desktop, the participant scans a QR code with a phone.

The capability is new, but reaching the next generation of endurance participants is an ongoing focus for haku. On your end, earning the business of those younger runners requires that you design for the way they discover, register, and pay.

Key takeaways

• Gen Z participation across events in haku's analysis grew 33.3% from 2024 to 2025.
• Mobile registrations grew 92% year over year, while desktop remained the largest registration channel.
• More than two-thirds of Cash App's monthly transacting active customers are Millennials or members of Gen Z, according to Stripe.
• Cash App Pay is available for eligible US endurance registration workflows through haku.

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The endurance growth engine is getting younger

The next generation of endurance participants is no longer waiting in the wings.

Across the events included in haku's 2025 analysis, Gen Z participation increased 33.3% year over year, adding nearly 115,000 participants. Gen Z represented approximately 21% to 25% of participants, depending on the event, while Millennials accounted for roughly 43% of the field.

The shift is visible at the marathon distance, too. In 2025, Gen Z made up approximately 25.6% of marathon participants, and its share of marathon participation grew about 11% year over year. Younger runners are not simply entering the market through shorter races. They are committing to the sport's marquee distance earlier in their participation lifecycle.

They are also registering earlier. Gen Z registrations shifted 25 days earlier in 2025 than in 2024, leading a broader move toward earlier commitment across the field.

Taken together, these figures change the question for endurance organizations. Gen Z is not merely a future audience to cultivate. It is a substantial and fast-growing part of current demand. The organizations that earn its loyalty now have an opportunity to build relationships that can continue across more events, longer distances, and many years of participation.

‍Mobile is where registration momentum is building

The generational shift is happening alongside a change in how people register.

Desktop still accounted for 57.1% of haku registrations in 2025, compared with 42.4% on mobile. But the direction of travel is clear: mobile registrations increased 92% year over year, while desktop registrations declined 17%.

Mobile is especially important for younger participants. Among Gen Z, 43.2% of registrations were completed on mobile. That places mobile close enough to desktop that it cannot be treated as a secondary version of the registration experience.

The commercial signal is important, too. In haku's analysis, the average registration completed on mobile generated $118 in ticket revenue, compared with $91 on desktop, an observed difference of 29%. Device choice did not necessarily cause the difference; timing, event mix, pricing, and participant behavior may all contribute. But the result makes one point difficult to ignore: higher-value registrations are already happening on phones.

For event organizers, mobile registration is both a growth channel and a revenue channel. If a participant moves directly from a message, social post, or reminder into registration, the payment experience needs to support that same moment of intent.

Why Cash App belongs in the Gen Z payment conversation

Cash App is not simply a peer-to-peer payment tool. Customers can use it to hold money, receive direct deposits, use a debit card, save, invest, and make purchases. For many people, it is part of their everyday financial life.

Its customer base also skews young. Stripe reports that more than two-thirds of Cash App's monthly transacting active customers are Millennials or members of Gen Z. Stripe also cites research finding that 55% of Cash App customers do not have a credit card. See Stripe's Cash App Pay research.

That does not mean every Gen Z runner uses Cash App or wants to pay the same way. Generations are not monoliths, and no single payment method should define a payment strategy.

It does, however, mean Cash App Pay deserves a place in the conversation. Haku's data shows that younger participants and mobile registrations are becoming more important to endurance events. Cash App's customer data shows that the app is already meaningful to a large younger audience. Supporting Cash App Pay connects those two realities by giving eligible participants another familiar route through checkout.

How Cash App Pay works in haku registration

When Cash App Pay is available, the participant experience is straightforward:

1. The participant reaches the payment step and selects Cash App Pay.
2. On mobile, the participant is redirected to Cash App. On desktop, the participant scans a QR code with a phone.
3. The participant reviews and authorizes the payment through Cash App.
4. The payment and registration are completed through the connected haku workflow.

Eligible customers can fund the transaction with a Cash App balance or linked debit card. Whether Cash App Pay appears for an individual registration depends on factors including eligibility, device, transaction type, and the organization's haku configuration.

Payment choice should not create operational fragmentation

Adding a payment option is only useful if the organization can still understand and manage the transaction.

Cash App Pay extends the choices available in eligible haku registration workflows without becoming a separate registration or reporting system. Relevant payment activity remains connected with the participant, registration, event or program, transaction amount and type, payment status, refund activity, and applicable payment references.

That connection gives endurance organizations more than an additional logo at checkout. It helps preserve the operational context teams need to manage registrations, understand revenue, and support participants.

Build for payment choice, not a single winner

Cash App Pay should complement cards and digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, not replace them. Different participants bring different devices, preferences, and financial relationships to registration.

Your goal doesn't need to be predicting the "winning" payment option, but rather build a payment experience that can respond to meaningful differences across the audience.

For endurance organizations, three questions matter:

• Do our payment methods reflect the tools our target participants already use?
• Can participants move cleanly from a mobile discovery channel through registration and payment?
• Does each payment remain connected to the participant and operational data we need?

Cash App Pay strengthens that broader strategy with a payment method that has significant adoption among younger US consumers.

Reach the runners who are showing up now

The endurance market is growing, and its center of gravity is shifting. Gen Z participation is rising quickly. Mobile registration is gaining momentum. Younger runners are committing earlier and taking on longer distances.

Winning that audience takes more than changing campaign creative. It means carrying a relevant, mobile-friendly experience all the way from discovery through payment.

Cash App Pay is now available for eligible US endurance registration experiences through haku. Contact haku to learn whether it is available for your events and workflows.

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Frequently asked questions

Does haku support Cash App Pay?

Yes. Cash App Pay is available for eligible US endurance registration workflows through haku.

Can participants use Cash App Pay without a credit card?

Eligible participants can use a Cash App balance or linked debit card. Stripe reports that 55% of Cash App customers do not have a credit card.

When will Cash App Pay appear during registration?

Availability depends on factors including eligibility, device, transaction type, and the organization's haku configuration.

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