The Phoenix Suns and Early Warning Services have agreed to a multi-year official jersey patch partnership deal, the Suns announced Sept. 28.
Early Warning Services is an Arizona-based company behind Paze and Zelle. The Suns will have Paze on their jerseys for the 2026-27 season.
“We had a lot of interest in our patch; it was a very competitive process,” said Suns and Phoenix Mercury CEO Josh Bartelstein in a Sept. 28 news release.
Paze is an online checkout solution that banks and credit unions offer to consumers and participating merchants. It combines eligible U.S. debit and credit cards into a single wallet, eliminating the need for single-card use.
“Early Warning stood out because of its long history of innovation in payments, from Zelle to Paze,
its deep roots in Arizona and the opportunity to build an innovative partnership that goes well beyond the jersey. Paze will have a meaningful presence across our business and with our fans and members, from ticketing and online checkout to opportunities to enhance the fan experience at our arena. It’s an honor to have a hometown partner on our jerseys.”
PayPal was Phoenix’s previous jersey patch partner.
“The Paze patch will be seen wherever the Suns play, but this partnership begins at home in Arizona,” said Serge Elkiner, general manager of Paze, in a Sept. 28 news release. “Early Warning has grown here for nearly four decades, and more than 900 of our employees live and work in the state. Having Paze succeed PayPal in one of the most visible positions in sports is an important marker of our momentum, and we’re proud to introduce Paze to one of sports’ most passionate fan bases while supporting the team and communities they call home.”
Early Warning Services “enables financial access, advances reliable and fast payments for consumers and small businesses, and helps banks and credit unions protect the people and businesses they serve,” according to the news release.
Paze will also serve as the Suns’ official online checkout partner and official digital wallet and become “the entitlement partner” of the team’s season ticket membership program.
PayPal began its partnership with the Suns in 2018.
The payment processing wasn't looking to renew its sponsorship in 2022 if Robert Sarver remained involved with the Suns after his yearlong suspension ended for creating a “toxic” environment as team owner. The NBA had an independent investigation into Sarver’s conduct following an ESPN report.
At the time, PayPal’s partnership with the Suns was set to end after the 2022-23 season. Sarver sold the Suns and WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury to Mat Ishbia for a then-record $4 billion during that season. PayPal and the Suns later announced in April 2023 an extension of their partnership through the 2025-26 season.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Suns, PayPal end jersey patch partnership, team now with Paze
