Since 2015 in Cluj-Napoca
Untold Festival is Romania’s largest music festival. From the beginning, the organizers sought a cashless payment service provider that had already given proof of its competence at several large events. It was primarily our Sziget Festival references that convinced them that FESTIPAY would make a good choice. The reliability and customizability of our cashless payment system was also important. Since then, our cooperation has been a continuous success, as we have worked together for three years.
Awarded in the first year
After their first season, UNTOLD was awarded by European Festival Awards as the Best Major Festival in Europe. In the first two years, the organizer primarily required us to provide a cashless payment system. Festipay’s delegated management team controlls the installation, operation and supervision of the payment system. They also train the local staff involved in providing the service (about 120 persons). The festival takes place on a 20-hectare park, its central venue being the Cluj Arena. Opening hours for top-up points are being adjusted flexibly as needed.
At Untold Festival, a semi-online system with a high operational security is set up. In practice, this means that the internal memories of NFC cards and POS terminals stored the data generated in the course of the transactions, and at the same time the system also forwarded the information to the Festipay server using GPRS data transmission. Visitors can top up their Festipay devices using either cash or bankcards, and could recharcge the same way any time at the top-up points located in the festival area. After registering their cards, the users could also use the Festipay app at the event to check their transactions and balance, or – in case that they lost it – have their card blocked.
Seeing the continuously increasing number of visitors, as well as of vendors and service providers, the organizer – with the goal of higher transparency and higher service standards in mind – wanted to implement an integrated system in 2017. It was expected that wristbands could serve as access control and identification, as well as function as an instrument of payment at the same time.
Chipped wristband
Each wristband is equipped with a chip and a QR code. In the course of ID-based access management, the photo ID card of the visitor is scanned and rendered to the wristband. So the access control is able not only to check validity, but also to reliably identify the person holding the wristband, preventing potential abuses. The wristbands are branded, meet various demands /VIP, day pass, staff, etc. Chips store all the data necessary to identify the users. They are also enabled to manage all payment transactions. Supplied with an individual serial number, the QR code supported the registration and identification.
Upon arrival
The visitors first redeem their ticket vouchers before receiving the chip wristband. The organizers are able to adjust and rearrange access management flexibly. It can depend on the workload, thanks to our mobile devices used for the access. Furthermore, the system continuously provides real-time data on the actual number of visitors.
Following entry
visitors are able to top up their balance at any top-up point. Thanks to the cooperation between the Festipay and Untold mobile apps, users can also avoid queing at the top-up points and recharge their balance online.
Consumer habits
at Untold Festival have also changed a lot over the past 3 years, and thus the organizer also formulated its demand that the service at the vendors should be quicker, with less waiting time. Festipay’s sales supporting system is connected to the cash register systems of the vendors. It makes the service significantly quicker and simpler. Besides efficiently assisting sales, the system also support the work of the vendors.
Customer satisfaction survey
after purchase visitors can evaluate the shop by selecting from 5 different categories of “smileys” on a display.
Access control
The access control and the management of the payment transactions at Untold Festival was supported by Festipay’s integrated system. Festipay has become one of the main international service providers in the area of integrated festival and event solutions.
From 2018 in Hungary also
After the success of Festipay’s integrated payment wristband at Untold Festival, Hungary’s biggest festival, who have also been our clients for years, SZIGET has also started using Festipay’s new solution.
Key numbers:
In 2015 240,000 visitors, 600,000 transactions,
In 2016 290,000 visitors, 900,000 transactions,
In 2017 330,000 visitors, 1,200,000 transactions,
In 2018 550,000 visitors, 2,000 000 transactions.