Will you use Pre Pay cards?

[IloveShrimp]

What crackpot thought up this stupid idea?

The owners of Southend United must be deliberately trying to send the club skint.

Mine dropped through the door today, and what it basically means is that from the Brentford game no cash can be spent at the West Stand concessions from then onwards.

The minum amount that can be put on the card is £5 quid, so if I want to purchase a single item say of £1, I have to put £5 on the card and cant get change unless I visit the Blues box office.

What if I forget my card??
What if a youngster doesn't have £5?
Why should I pay upfront?

To charge my card I have to find a 'top up steward' or pre pay before the game.

Sorry but I cant be bothered and won't be spending at the concessions at all, I'll get my chocolate bar from the shop on the way to the ground.

No doubt next thing will be full body searches on the way in to find contraband chocolate, or ready made Bovril!!

 

[chapperzUK]

So a business has created an idea to make them some more money .....

 

[southend4ever]

crazy chickens. good way to encourage expenditure.

 

[weststander]

What crackpot thought up this stupid idea?

Its not a crackpot idea, it has been in use in many businesses for several years now, Lloyds TSB used it 10 years ago when i left. As i understand it we wont be the first club to use the system. Perhaps you should try it and see how quickly you get served before you rubbish it.

The owners of Southend United must be deliberately trying to send the club skint.

Remember that the catering is already franchised so the club probably wont be losing out on anything.

Mine dropped through the door today, and what it basically means is that from the Brentford game no cash can be spent at the West Stand concessions from then onwards.


The minum amount that can be put on the card is £5 quid, so if I want to purchase a single item say of £1, I have to put £5 on the card and cant get change unless I visit the Blues box office.

What if I forget my card??
What if a youngster doesn't have £5?
Why should I pay upfront?

To charge my card I have to find a 'top up steward' or pre pay before the game.

Yes you do at the moment but i bet its not long before you can do it online via paypal or some other web based system.

Sorry but I cant be bothered and won't be spending at the concessions at all, I'll get my chocolate bar from the shop on the way to the ground.

If you only buy a chocolate bar from the ground then perhaps it is you that is the crackpot as its much cheaper to buy them and bring them with you anyway !

No doubt next thing will be full body searches on the way in to find contraband chocolate, or ready made Bovril!!

As they do at Wembley where they take any food or drink from you at the turnstiles ??

At the end of the day if you dont want to use the system you dont have to, as you said you can buy your chocolate bar in the shop on the way to the ground. Its only a trial and if enough people dont use it then it wont be used again i would imagine and remember the ones who are losing out in this trial will be the catering franchisees not the club.

 

[Dick Bate's Protege]

So a business has created an idea to make them some more money .....

How exactly?

 

[GBJ]

How exactly?

I second that,

How will it make money? It'll cost money, but i see no real way of it MAKING money

 

[TrueBlue]

Great idea if you ask me quick and easy and I can load the card up start of the season say £100 and use that for a half time beer each game

24 home games and allow for 4 cup games - round up at £3.50 a pint x 28 = £98.00

Bang on!

 

[Smiffy]

Great idea if you ask me quick and easy and I can load the card up start of the season say £100 and use that for a half time beer each game

24 home games and allow for 4 cup games - round up at £3.50 a pint x 28 = £98.00

Bang on!

There won't be 24 home league games, unless we play ourselves?!

 

[Mick]

So a business has created an idea to make them some more money .....

Charging to use the toilets at half-time would make some more money; doesn't make it right though.

 

[Holy Joe]

I second that,

How will it make money? It'll cost money, but i see no real way of it MAKING money

It will make money in two ways - firstly by people being lazy or not knowing how to 'claim' their change. Secondly by customers pre paying companies reduce their working capital (and associated finance charge) - as Trueblue demonstrated he is willing to pay for a pint of beer at the start of the season that he won't drink until the end of the season.

 

[Dick Bate's Protege]

It will make money in two ways - firstly by people being lazy or not knowing how to 'claim' their change. Secondly by customers pre paying companies reduce their working capital (and associated finance charge) - as Trueblue demonstrated he is willing to pay for a pint of beer at the start of the season that he won't drink until the end of the season.

I'd have thought encouraging more fans to attend games regularly, rather than playing on the potential laziness of their existing ones, would be a better business model. Is the few quid that may remain on a certain amount of cards every season really going to make a lot of difference to income.

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

It'll make money as it will allow more customers to be served pre game and at half time. Also means that there is less likelihood of money going missing (not that i'm implying this is a problem).

 

[EastStandBlue]

People will criticise whatever initiatives the club trial as they find happiness in being unhappy.

Personally, as TB set out, it's a cracking idea if you prefer a pint at half time to chat over the action and see the results stream in on Soccer Saturday like I do. It means there'll be less queue times, less complications and I won't have to worry about having cash with me at the time.

 

[J]

Ajax have the same scheme, and i used it when i went out there a year or so ago. Very good idea IMO, and the first time i think this club has pulled it's finger out.

 

[Gremlin]

That Oyster card will never catch on.

 

[RobM]

What's the difference to a season ticket? Pay up front on those.

 

[GBJ]

It will make money in two ways - firstly by people being lazy or not knowing how to 'claim' their change. Secondly by customers pre paying companies reduce their working capital (and associated finance charge) - as Trueblue demonstrated he is willing to pay for a pint of beer at the start of the season that he won't drink until the end of the season.

That's not exactly making EXTRA money though. That's just claiming it a lot sooner, same as Season Tickets

 

[Gremlin]

That's not exactly making EXTRA money though. That's just claiming it a lot sooner, same as Season Tickets

Have you considered that this might be about saving money rather than making money? Just a thought, like.

 

[NNT]

Just another method of getting cash up front. More evidence of the cash flow problems at the club?

 

[Manchester Shrimper]

Will you use the pre paid cards? According to the bumph I got in the post today, it doesn't look like I'll have much choice.

In seriousness though, it should make the queue for the kiosk go quicker.