Is Your Cashless Reader Placement Costing You Arcade Revenue?

Our latest blog comes from CenterEdge Sales Director John Keys, whose experience with cashless systems in the attractions industry is, quite honestly, legendary. John has spent years walking facilities, working with operators, and seeing firsthand how even the smallest decisions can affect gameplay, attraction throughput, and revenue. In this article, he shares simple ways to see your facility through your guests’ eyes and uncover friction you may not even realize exists.

CenterEdge has been heavily involved with cashless systems since we started, first by developing our own tech, then developing robust integrations with the leading legacy cashless systems, and finally, through our launch of CenterEdge Play. In that time, we have learned and implemented these key reader placement best practices to reduce friction and increase revenue.

No. 1: Make It Easy For Guests To Play.

Traditionally, readers have been placed over the coin and bill acceptors or right next to them. As you look at your location through the eyes of your guest:

• Is it easy for guests to tap their card to start the game?
• Can a child with a wristband easily start the game, or do they need to contort their wrist to start the game?
• Where is the chip, and does the guest know where to tap the card or wristband?
• Do you have signage throughout your facility to remind guests how to easily enjoy the games and attractions?

Visiting locations, we have seen the difference that reader placement made with guests. If a reader was easy to access, guests played the game more; if the reader was hard to reach, guests often gave up and went to another game or left. So, if you’re installing readers yourselves, consider how a guest will approach the game and make it easy for them to play it.

No. 2: Protect Your Readers. 

Place the reader where it is secure and cannot be damaged. Placing a reader close to the ball return on a skee-ball game is asking for the reader to be hit and cracked. Place the reader away from the ball return or add a protective cover; I have seen plastic covers or U-bolts used on at-risk attractions. J&J Amusement makes a metal cover for readers in their batting cages that also can be used with skee-ball and other attractions.

No. 3: Consider the Flow at Outdoor Attractions. 

Outdoor attractions present new challenges:

• Are the readers in a good position for guests, if unattended, or for team members as they welcome guests to the attraction?
• Can the readers be easily seen in direct sunlight?
• Is the reader protected from rain or snow?
• How can team members and management confirm that their guest has paid for the attraction?
• Is the attraction in a good position to communicate with the access point, or is there an option for a wired reader?

For example, we have seen many outdoor readers in locations that did not match guest or team-member flow. Most people are right-handed, so the reader should be easy for guests to access. For attended locations, it needs to be positioned so staff can engage with guests while maintaining gate security for safety.

No. 4: Look Beyond the Arcade.

Looking at your entire facility, are you making it easy for your guests to access all you offer? Are there games or attractions that might be impulse buys for guests, like a photo booth, cotton candy machine, or vending machine? These could be outfitted with readers that allow credit cards or payments by Apple Pay® and Google Wallet®, in addition to their game card or wristbands.

Also, consider if you want to allow guests to purchase food & beverage with cards or wristbands. Parents may want to drop off teenagers with enough credits on a card so they can play games, visit attractions, and purchase food without having to give them extra money or a credit card. Giving guests one way to pay throughout your facility makes it easier for them to enjoy more of what you offer, whether they’re stopping for a snack between games or taking a break for lunch. For your team, it’s also a chance to help guests plan their entire visit when they first purchase or load their cards.

No. 5: Follow the Entire Guest Journey.

And finally, look at the entire guest journey: pre-visit, onsite, and return visit. Are you making it easy for guests to purchase tickets, packages, timed play, and credits online, mobile, at the kiosk, and POS?

Making the initial purchase and additional purchases easy will make it more fun for your guests and will drive more to the bottom line. Look through your guests’ eyes to make sure every transaction is easy and frictionless. Keep online and mobile transactions to as few steps as possible, and make them redeemable at self-service kiosks or with friendly team members at Admissions.

Position kiosks at the entrance so guests can skip the line, and, of course, deeper inside your facility for simple reloading while guests are having fun to prevent them from ending their visit early.

Small Changes Can Make A Big Difference.

Following your guests’ journey periodically, and encouraging your manager and team members to do the same, will give you new ideas to reduce friction, enhance the guest experience, and drive more money to your bottom line. Something simple like moving a reader can make all the difference in the world!