FinnlySport: Bringing Reliable, Integrated Payments to Recreation Facilities
Fiserv partnership sets up independent software vendor for scalable success
Recreation facilities can be complicated to manage, and they depend on smooth operations for profitability – from scheduling to memberships and POS interactions.
Payment processing sits at the center of all of it. For Minneapolis-based FinnlySport, a fast‑growing recreation management platform serving ice rinks, parks and multisport complexes, the need was simple: a payments partner it could trust.
The challenge
When FinnlySport began building its platform, the team faced an early strategic decision: Who could support integrated payments across the entire system and scale with the platform?
The company needed a partner that could provide:
- Reliable, fully integrated payments inside its software
- Clean reconciliation between POS transactions and registration fees
- Guidance on the right terminals for different environments
- A solution that would reduce payment‑related problems the support team wasn’t staffed to solve
Those were threshold requirements any prospective partner would have to meet because FinnlySport didn’t see payments technology as an add‑on or afterthought. The company viewed it as foundational to creating a positive customer experience.
The solution
FinnlySport chose Fiserv for two reasons: a quality product and a high level of collaboration that showed up from day one.
A built-in, unified payment platform. Parker said one of the biggest differentiators was how easily Fiserv’s solution integrated directly into the platform and enabled facilities to process payments, pull reports and reconcile everything in one place.
Support that became an extension of FinnlySport’s team. Parker praised the partnership dynamic Fiserv cultivated with the company. Weekly standing meetings with the relationship manager had a profound impact.
“I don’t have to be a payments expert,” he said. “I have someone who can help me.”
Guidance on devices for every facility layout. From concession stands to check‑in desks, recreation environments vary widely. Fiserv worked with FinnlySport to recommend the right hardware for each location.
Less pressure on the support team. With better integration and direct access to payments expertise, FinnlySport saw a sharp drop in payment‑related questions.
“My support team wasn’t built to be a credit card processing center,” Parker said. “Now they don’t have to be.”
The results
Since partnering with Fiserv, FinnlySport has seen clear, measurable benefits.
- About a 50% reduction in sales process time because with Fiserv as the trusted default, the company no longer needs to manage payments separately
- A significant decline in payment‑related support tickets, thanks to smooth reconciliation and integrated reporting
- Faster customer onboarding, aided by clear device guidance and unified payment workflows
- Greater confidence during the sales cycle, supported by a payments partner Parker called “the best in the business”
What other independent software vendors can learn
When another independent software vendor asks Parker what to look for in a payments partner, his advice is simple.
- Choose a collaborative, rather than transactional, partner
- Look for a provider that integrates deeply with your platform and workflow
- Prioritize trust and a partner that shows up
- Work with a company that “isn’t just pushing a product, but pushing a partnership”
“I trust Fiserv wholeheartedly with my business,” Parker said, “and am confident recommending them to my customers.”
The future for FinnlySport
As FinnlySport expands its recreation management platform and supports more facilities across the country, its partnership with Fiserv has positioned the company for long‑term success.
“With Fiserv, we’re not just processing payments,” Parker said, “we’re building a scalable, collaborative foundation for the future of our business.”
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