Unified Solution for Matchday Access, Payments and Fan Engagement

<p style="text-align: justify;">Crusaders FC, based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is one of the country’s leading professional football clubs. With a diverse audience spanning club officials, players, coaches, season ticket holders, social members and matchday fans, the club required a modern digital system capable of managing access, payments and member engagement within one integrated platform.</p><img src="https://pdxgybcqigjepeuikhea.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/case-studies/imports/1776959043893-1.png" alt="" data-align="center" class="cs-img cs-img-center"><p style="text-align: justify;">Since going live in March 2021, Facilipay has operated as the club’s unified digital layer — powering access control, member wallet payments, campaign discounts and in-stadium commerce through a fully branded Crusaders FC mobile application.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">The challenge</h2><p style="text-align: justify;">Operating a football stadium introduces layered operational complexity. Crusaders FC required a solution that could:</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Provide secure access control across multiple membership categories</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Apply differentiated benefits automatically depending on member role</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Enable seamless matchday payments without cash dependency</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Support both structured season ticket holders and casual attendees</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Deliver clear reporting across access, payments and campaigns</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">Traditional systems separate ticketing, payments and membership management. Crusaders required these layers to operate as a single, cohesive ecosystem.</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><img src="https://pdxgybcqigjepeuikhea.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/case-studies/imports/1776959044303-2.png" alt="Illustration of Facilipay's role in the ecosystem" width="40%" data-align="right" class="cs-img cs-img-right" style="width: 40%;"><h2 style="text-align: left;">Facilipay’s role in the ecosystem</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Facilipay implemented a fully branded Crusaders FC mobile app, serving as the digital gateway for members and fans.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Core capabilities in use:</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Role-based member onboarding (Officials, Season Ticket Holders, Coaches, Youth roles, Social Members, etc.)</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">App-based digital wallet with stored balance functionality</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Linked bank cards for instant top-ups</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Pre-order and in-stadium ordering</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Stadium access validation via assigned roles</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Automated campaign and discount application</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">Each user is assigned a predefined role within the system. Roles determine eligibility for access rights, pricing structures and promotional campaigns — without requiring manual intervention on matchdays.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Role-based access &amp; benefits</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Crusaders FC operates a structured membership model including:</p><table class="cs-table" data-align="center" style="min-width: 75px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="min-width: 25px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" data-background-color="#E0F2FE" style="background-color: rgb(224, 242, 254);"><p style="text-align: left;">Club Officials</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" data-background-color="#E0F2FE" style="background-color: rgb(224, 242, 254);"><p style="text-align: left;">Life Season Ticket Holders</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" data-background-color="#E0F2FE" style="background-color: rgb(224, 242, 254);"><p style="text-align: left;">Social Members</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" data-background-color="#D5F2EF" style="background-color: rgb(213, 242, 239);"><p style="text-align: left;">Adult / Senior / Student Season Ticket Holders (by season year)</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" data-background-color="#D5F2EF" style="background-color: rgb(213, 242, 239);"><p style="text-align: left;">Coaches (Academy, U20s, CS Coach, etc.)</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" data-background-color="#D5F2EF" style="background-color: rgb(213, 242, 239);"><p style="text-align: left;">Youth roles (Under16s and age‑group categories)</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">This segmentation allows the club to:</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Grant stadium access based on membership type</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Apply automated member discounts</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Run exclusive campaigns for defined groups</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Maintain operational control without complexity at entry points</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">For example, the 10% members discount campaign has been running continuously since May 2021 for designated roles such as Club Officials, Life Season Ticket Holders, Social OAP, Senior 2025/26, Adult 2025/26, Student 2025/26 and Social 2025/26 categories.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Eligibility is validated automatically at checkout: ensuring accurate discount application while preserving queue speed.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Matchday payments &amp; ordering</h2><p style="text-align: left;">On matchdays, users can:</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Tap to access the stadium (role validated)</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Use wallet balance for food and beverage purchases</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Link cards and top up instantly</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Pre-order or order within the stadium via the app</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;">This reduces cash handling, improves transaction speed and creates a unified digital journey from entry to in-stadium spend.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Adoption &amp; engagement metrics</h2><p style="text-align: left;">Since going live in 2021, Crusaders FC has processed:</p><table class="cs-table" data-align="center" style="width: 581px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 244px;"><col style="width: 112px;"><col style="width: 225px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><th colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="244" data-border-style="" data-border-color="#cbd5e1" data-border-width="1px" style="border: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>285,886+ total transactions through the digital platform</strong></span></p></th><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="112" data-border-style="" data-border-color="#cbd5e1" data-border-width="1px" style="border: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 36px;">+</span></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="225" data-border-style="" data-border-color="#cbd5e1" data-border-width="1px" style="border: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><strong>194,894+ campaign-discounted transactions</strong></span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">This means approximately <strong>68% </strong>of all transactions include a member benefit or campaign component.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This level of penetration indicates that role-based segmentation is not passive — it is actively embedded within matchday purchasing behaviour. Member discounts are consistently applied, and campaign engagement remains structurally integrated into the club’s commercial model.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Rather than isolated promotions, discounts operate as a controlled loyalty mechanism tied directly to verified membership identity.</p><h2 style="text-align: justify;">Operational visibility</h2><p style="text-align: justify;">All transactions including campaign-discounted sales are tracked through Facilipay’s reporting dashboard.</p><p style="text-align: left;">This enables the club to:</p><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">Monitor discount uptake by role</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Analyse member spending behaviour</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Track wallet usage trends</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Maintain audit clarity across campaigns</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">The system provides consolidated visibility across access control, payments and member benefits within a single reporting environment.</p><h2 style="text-align: justify;">Key takeaways</h2><ul><li><p style="text-align: left;">One platform managing access, payments and campaigns</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Structured role segmentation driving automated benefits</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Digital wallet reducing matchday friction</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">10% member discount campaign running continuously since 2021</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">~286,000 transactions processed digitally</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">~68% of transactions linked to role-based benefits</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Secure stadium access aligned with verified membership status</p></li><li><p style="text-align: left;">Unified reporting across transactions and promotions</p></li></ul><p style="text-align: justify;">Crusaders FC demonstrates how professional sports venues can leverage digital infrastructure not only for payments, but for identity management, controlled access and sustained member engagement — transforming matchday operations into a structured, data-driven ecosystem.</p>

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