Fylde coast football centre gets a result with cashless switch

At the beginning of March, the use of cash in the UK more than halved in a matter of days, so businesses have been forced to adjust and adapt to the current climate.

Bispham based Card Saver, has transformed Fleetwood Town’s training ground into a completely cashless venue, revolutionising the way it operates.

The £10m state-of-the-art Poolfoot Farm Sports and Leisure Complex in Thornton sees 250,000 customers a year, and following the recent pandemic, bosses decided they wanted to enhance the customer experience and make it a safer environment for everyone before they reopened on July 4.

As well as the seven top class grass pitches, two FIFA top grade 4G pitches, four FTFC red five-a-side pitches, the first team and academy gym and physiotherapy room, it also has Pizza Calcio, the venue’s bar and restaurant.

With the new card terminals and contactless payments up to the value of £45 at reception and at the bar via card and mobile phone, customers can now enjoy full table service in Poolfoot’s restaurant to avoid congestion and maintain social distancing.

Card Saver has provided hand held tablets designed to be carried by waiting staff at all times, so bills can be produced immediately, printed, and fully itemised for the customer to view at the table, as well as having the ability to process the card payment there and then.

Poolfoot also gets an advanced cloud-based back office software, Web Back Office, for real-time sales reporting and stock control.

Chelsea Shepherd, Food and Beverage Assistant Manager, said: “We had a really successful reopening weekend, and the new technology from Card Saver definitely helped ensure that everything ran smoothly.

“Customers were immediately put at ease when they found out it was table service, as they could stay within their own areas and not mix with others."

Ross Chapman, director of Card Saver, said: “These days, carrying cash is an inconvenience for many people, and not only is the venue now a much safer environment for staff, players and visitors, we have helped future proof the facility for many years to come.”