Have you ever wondered how you might make your membership experience better? The Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) did just that with the launch of the MCC app.
The MCC has long been one of the premium membership clubs for sporting fans in Australia with their membership linked to access of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Founded in 1838 by five men who agreed to form a cricket club now known as the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC).
Now a leader in membership experiences, the MCC offers a variety of channels for members to manage their account, access benefits and be rewarded for their loyalty. The Club uses a variety of technology solutions and payment applications to manage their membership experience. Members can access their account and manage payments through the Club’s website, and MCC App both of which are connected to the Club’s membership database.
An Innovative Membership Card
The MCC membership card (MCC Plus card) is both a membership and payment card. On one side it has a barcode that enables entrance to the Members’ Reserve at the MCG, the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere. On the other side, it’s a closed loop reloadable eftpos card. This means that members can load funds onto the card which can then be used within the numerous bars, cafes and dining facilities in the MCC Members’ Reserve at the stadium. It’s a closed loop reloadable eftpos card – like you might see retailers selling to load funds onto to be used as gift vouchers. When members use the card to pay for food and drinks, they access a membership benefit which is a 5% rebate loaded back onto their account ready to use at the next event they attend.
Members can manage their payments through two key channels
Channel 1: Membership Website
Members can log into their membership account on the MCC website to view/update details, make a payment and manage their MCC Plus card. They can view their transaction history (date, amount, and description) via the website. Members can load funds onto the account via a bank transfer or a credit card. The MCC uses the Linkly payment gateway to process fund load transactions from credit cards to the MCC Plus card. This is done through a secure and PCI DSS compliant solution using the Linkly Payment Gateway.
Channel 2: Mobile App
Available through the Apple App store and Google Play store, the MCC app offers a variety of features. Firstly, it contains the digital membership card allowing access to the MCC Members’ Reserve at the MCG. It enables members to view upcoming event and function information, submit dining and function bookings, apply for internal passes for their guests to access member-only areas like the Long Room or balcony seating areas and navigate through to Ticketek to purchase reserved seats for themselves or visitor tickets for their guests. It allows members to manage their membership and access important information relating to their category of membership. Members can also manage their MCC Plus card balance. That means viewing the amount, transactions and loading more funds onto the MCC Plus card. This is also powered by the Linkly Online Payment Gateway.
The MCC have also enabled members to provision their MCC Plus card to their digital wallet on their Apple or Android device. This then allows members to tap their card via their digital wallet to pay for food and drinks.
A commitment to improving membership experience has meant that the MCC has evolved into a sophisticated user of payment technology which the Club intends on extending in the future.