For the third consecutive season, the Grenoble Brûleurs de Loups have chosen Easytransac to equip their ticket offices, both for day-to-day operations and during sold-out game nights. This renewal confirms the effectiveness of a two-tiered approach, designed to adapt to the very different realities of a professional sports club depending on the time of year.
One of the most successful clubs in French hockey
Founded in 1963 as the Grenoble Hockey Club, the team officially adopted the name Brûleurs de Loups in 1992, in reference to a nickname given by the Dauphiné press as early as the 1960s. Since then, the team has established itself as one of the leading teams in the Ligue Magnus, the top tier of French ice hockey: nine French championship titles (the most recent in 2025), six French Cups, and four League Cups, not to mention a historic Grand Slam in 2009 (winning all four national trophies in the same season).
Behind the sports-themed facade lies a true small-to-medium-sized enterprise in the world of professional sports: ticket sales and season tickets, the official store, corporate suites and hospitality packages, partnerships, and food and beverage services on game nights. These commercial activities vary in pace and have different revenue collection requirements depending on the time of year.
A steady stream of revenue all year round
On nights when there are no games, the club’s main sources of revenue are similar to those of any commercial organization: the sale of individual tickets or season tickets at the box office, a merchandise store open year-round, payments for B2B services (boxes, partnerships, hospitality), and one-time sales during internal events.
For these purposes, the club relies on easytransac point-of-sale terminals: reliability, ease of use for administrative and sales staff, acceptance of all payment methods (cards, contactless, and sometimes mobile), and stable, predictable accounting tracking. This system is designed for day-to-day payment processing, tailored for a steady but low-volume flow of transactions, with few time constraints.
Peak Season: A Hybrid Cashless Solution to Handle High Volume
Hockey season is a whole different story. On game nights, thousands of spectators flock to the food courts, concession stands, and merchandise booths within a matter of minutes, all with one thing in mind: not to waste any time, or they’ll risk missing the start of the game or a period of play.
In this context, a traditional POS system quickly reaches its limits: transaction times are too long, lines grow longer, and there’s a risk of payment processing bottlenecks at high-traffic areas within the venue. That’s where the easytransac hybrid cashless solution comes in, designed specifically for peak crowds at events and sporting venues:
- Faster payment processing thanks to preloaded payment methods (contactless cards, wristbands, or badges), which eliminate the need to enter a code and speed up each transaction at the booths;
- Hybrid nature: The solution isn't limited to purely cashless transactions; it also allows users to top up their accounts and make payments using standard bank cards at the same terminals, ensuring that no spectator who didn't plan to top up their account is left out;
- The gradual phase-out of cash, which reduces the risk of theft, simplifies end-of-night cash reconciliation, and improves the flow of customers at points of sale;
- Real-time business monitoring (sales per booth, top-selling products, hourly peaks)—a true management tool for the club that goes beyond simple ticket sales.
Two approaches, one goal: never compromise the spectator experience
The case of the Brûleurs de Loups clearly illustrates a classic challenge faced by sports clubs and venues that operate on a seasonal basis: it’s not a matter of choosing between a permanent payment system and an event-based solution, but rather of making the two coexist, with each addressing a different operational reality. The small point-of-sale terminal ensures continuity and simplicity on a day-to-day basis; the hybrid cashless system handles the intensity of game nights without ever causing fans to miss a single minute of the action.
Three seasons after the start of this partnership, the Brûleurs de Loups’ renewed confidence confirms that easytransac has been able to consistently meet this dual challenge—both in terms of operational continuity and performance during periods of high attendance.
