For fans attending matches at Ibrox, life is just about to get a whole lot easier. Very soon they’ll be able to pay for their half-time pie and Bovril, along with anything else they purchase in the stadium, by using contactless card or chip and pin.

This welcome development has come about because of a partnership between Rangers Football Club and Sporting Pay, a merchant services company that specialises in working with sports clubs of all kinds from local football teams to major national organisations, including both Lords and Edgebaston Cricket Grounds.

Sporting Pay Managing Director, Chris Norminton, says the benefits for Ibrox include not just lower charges but a partnership that is dedicated to giving back to the club.

“It’s about forging a long-term relationship with the club, their sponsors, the fans and local business,”he says.

“It’s about giving something back.”

At Ibrox the use of smart tills and card readers will allow for accurate stock control and will also provide live data that will give staff the opportunity the manage the ground effectively during matches, when quick decisions have to be made.

The Herald:

“If one kiosk is running low and there’s a large stock in another area, then there’s the opportunity to move things around the ground, making sales that would otherwise be lost. That ability to see the full picture wasn’t there before, but now it is.

“And electronic payments are often speedier than cash too, especially now that there are so many ways to pay, such as smart watches and Google Pay, so queues will move more quickly as peak times, making things easier for fans. Doing away for the need to use cash will also improve the experience in corporate hospitality areas, providing hosts with accurate expenditure data and doing away with the need for them to carry cash.”

Understanding how sports clubs work is key, says Chris, to Sporting Pay’s approach to business.

“I’ve been in this industry for almost a decade but it was only when I started working with sports clubs that I realised that not only were many of them being charged over the odds for payment services, but that they weren’t getting the full benefits from the technology.”

By working out how clubs could maximise their turnover and revenue, while improving the way in which they interacted with fans, Sporting Pay has developed a business model that is proving to be transformational for sporting organisations from local to international levels.

The Herald:

“Until we got involved with them, the payment of subs at my local cricket club was typical of how many sports clubs manage their affairs. Keeping track of how much money was outstanding and who had still to pay their subs was always an issue and the club didn’t take card payments, so all transactions were slow.”

“Now members can pay their subs on-line and use their cards during matches, making all aspects of running the club much easier to manage.”

As part of its deal with Ibrox, Sporting Pay receives season tickets and it will be using these to invite local businesses along on match days.

“We want to work with the bars, restaurants and other businesses in the area and we can offer the the same rates as the club. It’s a way for us and Rangers helping to support the local community.”

Since the tie-up with Rangers was announced, Sporting Pay has entered into talks with football clubs across Scotland, all of them exploring the option of moving towards electronic payments.

But it’s not just sports clubs, says Chris, that could benefit from advice on how to take steps towards cashless payments.

“It’s actually a model that fits many types of businesses, as well as sports organisations, and the example of Rangers should help to point the way.”

For more information please visit www.sportingpay.co.uk