Case Study
FC Dallas
ParkHub’s mobile and contactless payment solutions
improve parking operations at FC Dallas.
Summary
Hoping to save time and money for the club, and create a better fan experience, FC Dallas has gone cashless.
Cashless payments allow for better asset control, less slippage at the start, and fuels a deeper understanding of revenue sources. Mobile and contactless devices mean faster ingress and a better experience for all, while payments are the foundation for increasing business intelligence along the customer journey, from the lot through the venue and beyond.
The Challenge
Decreased Preference for Cash
In 2022, FC Dallas noticed fans were bringing in less and less cash, opting for other forms of payments, especially contactless payments in our post-pandemic world. Going cashless wasn’t without precedent, as the neighboring Dallas Cowboys had moved to cashless prior to the pandemic.
The Solution
After switching to ParkHub’s more reliable payment devices, with strong wireless connectivity and offline processing modes, going cashless finally seemed like a viable option for FC Dallas. In December 2022, the club conducted a trial run for cashless payments as it hosted college football’s Frisco Bowl. With nothing but great responses from parking attendants, and no complaints from guests, the test run was a massive success.
The Results
Cashless Payments
FC Dallas’ cashless payments went from 20% to 80%.
Parking can be a pain point when it comes to settling and reconciling with cash payments. Deterrents for theft are very challenging to implement in a parking lot environment. Switching to ParkHub removed that variable of the physical ticket for FC Dallas. With tickets moved to digital format, cash becomes an extra hassle for everyone involved. With cashless payments, it’s much harder to lose money and it eliminates the whole process of procuring cash from the bank, having attendants pick up and keep track of cash, then reconciling cash post-game.
Streamlined Payments
Cashless payments helped to deter theft and optimize the payments process.
According to Matt Daus, head of stadium operations at FC Dallas, cashless is what the club’s fans want. “We went cashless in a little over one season. Our cashless payments went from 20% to 80% over the 2022 Major League Soccer season,” Daus explained. “Then, after our successful pilot with the Frisco Bowl, all it took was communicating to the remaining cash purchasers that we are going all-in on cashless. Our fans love it, because now we can deliver a consistent experience and not have modern technology inside the stadium and outdated ways of handling our parking.”
Higher Transaction Amounts
Mobile wallet users spend 2.4% more per transaction.
With record levels of attendance this season, a cashless payment system allowed for high fan engagement and satisfaction. FC Dallas isn’t alone in experiencing this phenomenon with fans, which is validated by recent research from the University of Illinois. A study of mobile wallets found that users make contactless purchases at a rate 23% higher than those who pay with physical cash or cards and spend 2.4% more per transaction.
Learn More
With integrated payments, devices, and business intelligence, ParkHub is paving the road to a brighter digital future. On that road, ParkHub customers are driving away from cash, quickly and seamlessly.
