Center Parcs goes cashless with Systopia

17 January 2014

Systopia, which deals with cashless payment systems, has secured a contract with UK Short Break Operator Center Parcs to provide cashless payment systems in two of its UK holiday villages

For the first time, Center Parcs’ guests are able to use discreet wristbands to pay for food and drink onsite and also access lockers and lodges. To use the cashless payment system, guests register their credit/debit cards to their wristband, with purchases credited to their account throughout their stay, and then pay on departure. This removes the need for guests to carry cash, which has long been a challenge and a source of inconvenience for them.

Systopia, players in the cashless revolution, has a fast-growing portfolio of clients worldwide, spanning Europe and North America, who have realised the benefits of fast and efficient cashless systems. Operating in both the public and private sectors, Systopia boast blue-chip clientele from the Business and Industry, Education, Healthcare and Leisure fields.

The Center Parcs partnership is announced after a successful ‘proof of concept’ trial, at the Whinfell Forest site in Cumbria. It marks Systopia’s first step into the leisure world, where it is providing cashless payment at Center Parcs EPOS till points and haystack dryers [full body dryers used after swimming].

Chris Lyons, Managing Director of Systopia, said: “This is a significant milestone for Systopia and we are pleased to confirm the new partnership with Center Parcs. We have worked closely with the team to provide a state of the art, integrated system that will allow guests to pay for goods on site easily and quickly at the touch of a wristband. Removing the need to carry cash not only makes payment much easier for visitors, it also creates a safer environment for all.”

Julia Lambert, IT Project Manager at Center Parcs, says: “The initial feedback from guests has been excellent. The wristbands allow guests to open doors to their lodges, open lockers in the changing rooms, as well as being used for payment in certain areas of the Village.”

Center Parcs Guests have said: “Very clever system as we don’t normally purchase anything in the swimming area and spent £60 over 4 days.”

“Absolutely loving the new door entry/pool locker/money wristbands!”

“It was brilliant, much easier than having to carry cash, especially at the pool.”

“We’ve been coming to Center Parcs once or twice a year for 10 years and were quite excited at the new development of wristbands. On the first day we registered our card details and were thrilled at this new service which meant we could have a drink/snack when we wanted without having to return to lockers.”

Center Parcs has four forest locations across the UK; Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, Elveden Forest in Suffolk, Longleat Forest in Wiltshire and Whinfell Forest in Cumbria. Currently Systopia is in the Whinfell Forest in Cumbria, and it will also be at its fifth village, Woburn Forest in Bedfordshire due to open in spring 2014.