Four Essential Features of Your Cashless System

If you aren’t taking advantage of these must-have features, then you’re missing out on some serious business growth potential.

Few would argue that cashless debit card systems have changed the game for many family entertainment, game room and amusement facilities.  Replacing the need for tokens and multiple forms of payment media has made enjoying a facility’s attractions, games and food much easier for today’s busy guests. 

However, even though it’s well known how important a cashless system can be, many facilities fail to utilize all the benefits of their system.  Are you missing out on some potential benefits??  Here are our top four picks for most indispensible features of any cashless system. 

#1 Create Winning Combos

Bundle items into combos to increase value for your guests, says Mark Easte, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Embed, a supplier of cashless payment systems for entertainment venues. While a guest might have the intention of purchasing just one attraction, grouping meaningful items together increases their chances of spending more.

You can bundle food packages, game room credits and attraction entitlements to make a complete entertainment experience effortless. If you have a game room, be sure to include credits for the game room in your combo. The more time guests spend in your facility, the more likely they are to add money to their cards at a kiosk. After all, who can resist adding a few more dollars to their card to try just one more time to hit big at Monster Drop?

#2 Encourage Return Visits with Bounce Back Offers

Wow your guests with exceptional value and service during their stay so they’ll want to return to your facility again and again. Jason Mitchell, North American Sales Manager at Intercard advises that you entice guests to return by including a special bounce back offer for a future visit to your facility. 

Bounce backs could include a set dollar amount, number of games or an attraction entitlement for the guest’s next visit. With most card systems, you can set the timeframe for your offer to begin the following day, at some point in the future or for a limited amount of time.

#3 Offer Timeplay Options

Timeplay options, offered by such systems as Sacoa, are great to use in birthday parties, lock ins and other large group events. Take advantage of your cashless system’s flexibility and build the timeplay offer that works best for your facility and your guests’ needs.

Don’t worry about a run on your redemption counter. Your timeplay can include only video games, or it could be valid for all games, including redemption games without dispensing tickets or points. You can even customize timeplay to include a set number of tickets or points that can be automatically loaded on each card as part of your package. This way, guests get the opportunity to enjoy your redemption space, which entices them to visit again in the future.

#4 Provide Membership Programs

There are many ways that membership programs can enhance your business and your cashless system can help you manage your program. One common approach is to offer a program that awards points based on guest spending in your facility. Tiers can be determined with awards or benefits assigned at each level. 

Another approach some facilities prefer to offer is an ‘opt in’ type program where a guest is incentivized to provide data in exchange for an offer or gift. Other facilities offer a membership program where guests purchase a VIP Card to receive member pricing or rewards. The key to creating a successful membership program is to identify the primary goals of the program and build it with those objectives in mind.   

These are just four of the most beneficial “must have” features, but there are also many other benefits to having a cashless system. CenterEdge is proud to offer integrations with the leading cashless system providers, including Embed, Intercard, and Sacoa. 

Have you learned to maximize your system’s potential with other “must use” features? Share them with us in the comments or on Twitter.