Payments at sports venues have become one of the biggest drivers of revenue on game day—and one of the most underutilized. You’re losing money in three areas that no one really pays attention to. The halftime concession stands, where the line is over seven minutes long and one in three spectators gives up. The VIP boxes, where guests wait for a server while the game resumes. Season ticket holders and staff paying full price at the snack bar because no one has set up the discount cards.
Taken together, these issues result in significant lost revenue from the secondary ticket market and a direct deterioration of the fan experience. A modern payment system sports club is built around three pillars—mobile payment, in-seat ordering, season tickets, and discounts—to which are added the complementary services a professional club expects from its partner (accreditations, access control, ticketing). Here’s how it all works.
Why payment alone is no longer enough in a stadium
For a long time, “modernizing payment” in a stadium meant replacing cash registers with contactless payment terminals. That was necessary, but far from enough. The real problem is no longer the speed of a single transaction: it’s the volume. Twenty thousand spectators all wanting a beer within the same fifteen-minute window can’t be served simply by speeding up credit card processing. We need to clear the line, relocate the point of sale, and ideally eliminate the need to move at all.
This is exactly where the transformation of French stadiums is taking place. Clubs that invest in an integrated approach—mobile payments, in-seat ordering, and a comprehensive membership program that includes point-of-sale systems—are boosting revenue, streamlining operations, and building fan loyalty.
The three payment components to connect
Renting a small business: seasonal flexibility and operational capacity
A Ligue 1 or Top 14 club doesn’t need the same number of payment terminals year-round. A home game, a high-profile European match, or a final each require different volumes. Renting payment terminals solves this imbalance: you set up the necessary number of terminals during peak attendance, return the terminals between games, and avoid tying up cash flow.
The equipment must meet three criteria: reliable 4G connectivity (stadiums are often areas with poor Wi-Fi coverage), long battery life (a match can last up to four hours, including pre- and post-game activities), and durability. Android touchscreen POS systems offer an additional advantage: they allow for the integration of business-specific applications (cash register, order taking, membership card scanning, ticket verification) without requiring multiple screens at the concession stand.
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Pikeat: Order for pickup or click & collect
It's the block that has the biggest impact on the game's outcome. Pikeat lets spectators order from their smartphones by scanning a QR code at their seat or in the box, pay right away, and then pick up their order at the dedicated counter or have it brought to them. The traditional line disappears. A virtual queue manages kitchen production and smooths out halftime peaks.
The results are immediately apparent: higher average order value (the app displays suggestions and makes it easier to complete orders), the ability to place orders before and during the game, a drop in cart abandonment rates, and staff focused on production rather than checkout. For luxury suites and hospitality sections, the brand image benefits are just as important as the ROI: a partner who can order without leaving their seat is a VIP promise kept.
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Loyalty Cards and Discounts: Turning Customer Loyalty into Revenue
This is the often-overlooked element, yet it’s the most profitable in terms of lifetime value. A season ticket holder, staff member, or volunteer isn’t like other customers: they come back for every game, they spend more when given the chance, and they expect tangible recognition for their commitment.
In practical terms, the system Easytransac allows you to link a season ticket (or a volunteer badge, a staff ID) to the POS terminal and Pikeat. At the time of payment, the discount is applied automatically: 15% off at the snack bar for season ticket holders, 50% off for volunteers, a dedicated staff rate for permanent staff, and targeted offers for VIP members. No paper coupons, no manual calculations at the concession stand, no cash register errors.
The benefits go beyond a simple discount. We can tailor pricing plans by category (Presidential Tribune subscribers vs. Popular subscribers), promote a specific offer for a match (a free second drink for subscribers on European Cup nights), or create a points program redeemable on-site. On the management side, each transaction is linked to the subscriber, which enables true customer insight—who is spending, how much, and when—rather than anonymous cash.
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Beyond payment: the services the club expects from its partner
Payment is only part of the equation. A professional club needs additional building blocks that Easytransac also provides, even though they aren't strictly speaking related to payment.
Accreditations. Players, staff, media, partners, VIPs, service providers, volunteers, security—each group receives a personalized badge with their access rights and time slots. Zoning is defined by role (field, mixed zone, VIP lounge, boxes, locker rooms), and last-minute adjustments can be made in just a few clicks. Easytransac works specifically with Stade Jean Bouin on this initiative.
Access Control. Accreditations are only valid when verified at the entrance to restricted areas. NFC or QR code scanning on mobile devices or fixed terminals, real-time validation, and full traceability. Three benefits: an end to fraud, enhanced security, and smoother traffic flow at checkpoints.
Integration with your ticketing system. Easytransac does not provide its own ticketing platform, but integrates with industry leaders—Secutix, Shotgun, Dice, Yurplan, and others. You keep the ticketing system your teams are familiar with and benefit from a consistent payment solution across online sales, game day, and internal purchases. In addition, you can offer online payment for merchandise or hospitality packages, as well as payment links for one-time partner promotions.
These services do not replace payment; rather, they complement it. The main advantage of obtaining them from the same provider is operational: a single point of contact, a single invoice, and data that can be cross-referenced (is an accreditation holder also a subscriber? Do they use a box?).
The benefits of a single partner
Of course, you can stack separate tools on top of each other: a payment processing system, a platform for mobile ticketing, another for credentials, and a fourth for access control. That’s what many clubs still do. The problem is well known: interfaces that don’t communicate with each other, scattered data, multiple points of contact in case of a problem, and a game day where each silo manages its own crisis.
A unified system aggregates the data. Sales from Pikeat, point-of-sale transactions from concession stands, and consumption linked to subscriber cards are all fed into the same interface. You can see in real time which point of sale is overwhelmed, which box is consuming the most, at what minute peaks occur, and which subscribers are the most active. For both the operations manager and the sales manager, this marks the end of flying blind.
It’s also a key negotiating point: a single partner aligns its commissions, support, and service level commitments with the realities of game day.
How to structure the project from the club's perspective
There are a few key questions to consider before signing.
- What is my daily match-day volume, and how is it broken down between concession stands, suites, and the store? This determines the right mix of TPE and Pikeat.
- How large is my base of subscribers and volunteers? A card program linked to a point-of-sale terminal becomes profitable with just a few hundred cardholders.
- Do my boxes and hospitality areas have any unique ordering features? If the answer is "no" or "a dedicated server," Pikeat is a powerful branding tool.
- What additional services (accreditations, access control, integration with my ticketing system) should I consider consolidating?
- Which single interface will my teams be willing to use? The best tool is the one that frontline staff can adopt without extensive training.
Easytransac, a partner to stadiums and sports clubs
Easytransac is currently a partner of several professional clubs—FC Metz, Paris FC, AS Saint-Étienne, and FC Nantes in soccer, and Stade Rochelais, Section Paloise, and Provence Rugby in rugby—as well as stadiums such as Jean Bouin. In terms of payment: rental of payment terminals and purchase, Pikeat for mobile ordering in the stands and boxes, and management of season tickets and discounts (staff, volunteers, loyal fans) integrated with the POS terminals and Pikeat.
Additional features: an accreditation module with zoning, NFC/QR access control, integration with major ticketing partners (Secutix, Shotgun, Dice, Yurplan, etc.), online payment, and payment links.
The benefit of having a single point of contact is especially evident on game nights, when a problem needs to be resolved in a matter of minutes rather than through multiple support tickets.
Conclusion: Think stadium, not ticket booth
Payment at sports clubs has definitively shifted from the front desk to a seamless experience: ordering at your seat, immediate recognition of members and volunteers at the concession stand, and frictionless hospitality systems. The clubs that are coming out ahead are those that build on these building blocks rather than leaving them to the whims of a generic point-of-sale system.
Are you preparing for next season and looking to review your game-day operations? Talk to an Easytransac expert: we’ll analyze your points of sale, your season ticket programs, and the combination of POS terminals and Pikeat that best suits your venue—in addition to the ticketing system you already use.
