" Club to implement 'Demand based pricing' "

Cardiff City Football Club will this season become a driving force by offering value via demand based pricing, working in partnership with leading pricing software developer, Digonex. The club will be deploying the Digonex supplied Sports & Entertainment Analytical Ticketing System (SEATS), the first fully automated, demand based pricing system for event ticketing.


Demand based pricing allows the club to attract a wide range of supporters to matches through more flexible pricing for home fans, whilst rewarding loyal supporters with the right price for the right game at Cardiff City Stadium. The message will be clear - buy smart and buy early.


The prices for our home Championship fixtures from next season will fluctuate, dependant on a number of key factors. Ticket prices can change on a daily basis based on real-time conditions such as rivalries, match days and times, league position and other factors, effectively reflecting the real world demand for tickets. This means that supporters who choose to purchase their individual tickets early will get the best possible pricing deal before any potential fluctuation increases prices.


As a club we have always given the best pricing and priority to our season ticket holders and we will continue to reward their loyalty and commitment. Season ticket holders will always own the best-priced tickets, while retaining priority on all of our home and away games as a guarantee.


Our demand based pricing starting price will always be higher than that of the Ambassador Season Ticket Holders price for the equivalent price class and zone, but lower than the 2012/13 fixed match day pricing structure.
Ambassador season ticket holders will still receive significant savings over any demand based pricing structure. The move to demand pricing will offer greater flexibility and will ensure supporters will be paying the right price for the right product, importantly at the right time.
Cardiff City Football Club will be writing to all season ticket holders for the 2012/13 season to explain how the partnership will work in more detail, as well as how their season ticket package is broken down in terms of how much they have paid for specific matches.
"Once again the club are leading the way in innovation and we are all excited about the positive impact demand based pricing will have on both our attendance and revenue next season," said Cardiff City Football Club Chief Executive Alan Whiteley.
"We are excited to work with Digonex to offer our supporters a price incentive to come to matches at Cardiff City Stadium. Digonex has provided us with a new way to reach out to our fans and continue our commitment to providing them with a top notch spectacle at the best possible prices.
"While season ticket prices will always remain the most value and best way to support the club, dynamic match pricing is an exciting and emerging trend for football that our club will continue to refine and evaluate over the coming season."
Jan Eglen, Ph.D., CEO of Digonex said, "We've helped several organisations across a variety of sports launch successful programs demonstrating how demand based pricing can increase both ticket sales and profitability and so far the football clubs response to SEATS has been tremendous. This is an exciting collaboration for Digonex and for Cardiff City and they are to be commended for their pioneering efforts to bring fan based pricing to their supporters."
Sales of single game match tickets will begin soon for the 2012/13 season and will not affect season ticket holder prices.
Official supporter groups have already backed the initiative in Cardiff, with both the Supporters Club and Supporters Trust recognizing the positives of demand based pricing.
Howard Morris of Cardiff City Supporters Club said, "We believe that Cardiff City's new demand based pricing system for match tickets is just the ticket! It will provide value for money to regular and occasional match goers whilst giving assurances to season ticket holders that they will never be disadvantaged on cost.
"It will encourage supporters and families with tight budgets to buy their tickets early at a good price. The cost will also reflect the significance of the game, whether it be a promotion decider or a run of the mill fixture.Importantly it gives our football club the opportunity to optimise their revenue at both high and low profile games. It is a new modern 21st century system and is another step to show our football club is gearing itself up to becoming a Premier League Club."
Supporters Trust Chair, Tim Hartley added, "Dynamic ticket pricing is an innovative way to ensure the stadium is full and that can only improve the match day atmosphere. Season ticket holders will still be paying less than people buying on a game by game basis. There's a clear message to fans here - buy early and get the best price."
About Digonex: Digonex focuses primarily on development of automated and optimized pricing platforms for e-commerce, allowing client companies to increase customer retention and maximize revenue. Digonex has been awarded eight patents for its innovative pricing systems. For more information, visit Digonex.com

Paving the way to attracting the 'plastic fan' by the sounds of it.

Nice to see the club try new ideas rather than stick with the same old same old.

Nice to see the club try new ideas rather than stick with the same old same old.

Exactly we are moving forward with the times

Worried that if we have too many season ticket holders they wont be able to cash in on
any big games. Man Utd in the FA Cup for instance?

Just a thought

Derby are doing it as well

Paving the way to attracting the 'plastic fan' by the sounds of it.

What's wrong with the club looking to maximise match day revenues?, it's not like the "hardcore" fans are filling the stadium to sell-out capacity week in week out is it?. More game revenues leads to us comfortably covering our wage bill and possible future transfer funds. Great idea from the club in my opinion.

Paving the way to attracting the 'plastic fan' by the sounds of it.

This 'Plastic Fan' jibe is becoming boring now and it is very abused as posters believe it adds creadability to their view.

Personally I have always been in the more the merrier camp as should everyone else.

10 quid is all that itys worth to watch Barnsly or Peterborough --

Season ticket holders must realise that its a demand based system so stop moaning-- you havnt pais 16 quid for every game --some are mor some are less

I have never called anyone Plastic before, in fact I guess I'm fairly plastic myself, I've only had a season ticket the last 3 seasons. I only watched sporadically before that.

I merely used the term plastic as I read the statement I thought there was less appeal to buy a season ticket to save money as good money can be saved on a game by game basis.

I meant no offence to anyone, I never do in my posts

I have never called anyone Plastic before, in fact I guess I'm fairly plastic myself, I've only had a season ticket the last 3 seasons. I only watched sporadically before that.

I merely used the term plastic as I read the statement I thought there was less appeal to buy a season ticket to save money as good money can be saved on a game by game basis.

I meant no offence to anyone, I never do in my posts

No problem buddy, the post was more aimed a Bluebird since 1948 etc

I read an article about a month ago saying Derby were going to do this and thought it was a good idea.

I seem to recall us doing something like wise during the Eddie May days, Rick Wright introduced the sliding price admission depending where we were in the league. I think it was £4, £5 or £6 seemed to work ok back then this new scheme I think is confuse the general public

Great idea!! This will sort out the fans that wait to see how other results pan out before buying.

Something similar is done in Italy. Travel there a bit with work, and go to some Lazio games. If they are playing Juventus, Milan, or Inter, and especially Roma the price goes up. If its Chievo Verona, Cagliari, or Parma it goes down. Not sure if they have 'early bird' prices though. Last home game of the season is always very cheap, some seats as low as 5 euro Seems to work quite well. Non STs can decide what games to go to, depending on their family circumstances.

my only concern is that the prices will be set too high for say april next yr if we are in the run in and we have a fixture against a top 6 team... if they push the price up it may lead to less attending... also many fans like to pay on the day.

my only concern is that the prices will be set too high for say april next yr if we are in the run in and we have a fixture against a top 6 team... if they push the price up it may lead to less attending... also many fans like to pay on the day.

From what I read on the derby site (assuming we are the same). Is that the match day price will fluctuate. Ie if we are playing Derby and we are selling very well the price will go up, if not so well then the price goes down. It should encourage high attendances.

my only concern is that the prices will be set too high for say april next yr if we are in the run in and we have a fixture against a top 6 team... if they push the price up it may lead to less attending... also many fans like to pay on the day.

From what I read on the derby site (assuming we are the same). Is that the match day price will fluctuate. Ie if we are playing Derby and we are selling very well the price will go up, if not so well then the price goes down. It should encourage high attendances.

i hope so mate, just imagine though if the west ham price had been 35 or 40 quid though?? i really dont think people would have paid it...

we adopt this pricing policy where i currently work, it works with flights etc... but football tickets, im not too sure about... i agree that prices will go down for certain fixtures thus hopefully increasing attendances, but then surely fans will pick to go to certain games which are say 10-15 quid etc and then we have a big fixture where we need to have good support the prices are too high they wont go...

I'm not convinced to be honest.
Firstly more supporters does not necessarily mean better atmosphere. Trips to Wembley have shown this in my eyes.

Secondly, fans could see a matchday price advertised and the price going up by the time they get to the ground which could deter those on a low income.

Finally, I don't know about anyone else but I find the current system a pain in the arse i.e. trying to get through to ticket office or having difficulties with online ticketing. How will the ticket office cope with what sounds like a more complex ticketing system? Surely it would be easier to just have a category A,B or C system with discounted tickets if bought in advance?

I have a season ticket so it should only really affect me for cup games, but I still feel as if this system should have been mentioned before season tickets went on sale. Will have to wait and see what additional information will follow. No doubt the start of the season will be a nightmare.

I'm not convinced to be honest.
Firstly more supporters does not necessarily mean better atmosphere. Trips to Wembley have shown this in my eyes.

Secondly, fans could see a matchday price advertised and the price going up by the time they get to the ground which could deter those on a low income.

Finally, I don't know about anyone else but I find the current system a pain in the arse i.e. trying to get through to ticket office or having difficulties with online ticketing. How will the ticket office cope with what sounds like a more complex ticketing system? Surely it would be easier to just have a category A,B or C system with discounted tickets if bought in advance?

I have a season ticket so it should only really affect me for cup games, but I still feel as if this system should have been mentioned before season tickets went on sale. Will have to wait and see what additional information will follow. No doubt the start of the season will be a nightmare.

I don't think pricing has an effect on atmosphere anyways.
From the clubs point of view it has to be about maximising revenue.

From what I read when derby done it, it will mean cheaper prices for people who pay early. If you don't then the price will depend on sales.

If the number of fans for each game doesn't go down, how can it be anything but a good thing. Even if we go along with more fans doesn't mean a better atmosphere, it's certainly better for the players to see a fuller stadium than empty seats when playing at home.

Paving the way to attracting the 'plastic fan' by the sounds of it.

This 'Plastic Fan' jibe is becoming boring now and it is very abused as posters believe it adds creadability to their view.

Personally I have always been in the more the merrier camp as should everyone else.

So we now have 3 camps. The blue, the red and the merrier.

Cardiff City Football Club will this season become a driving force by offering value via demand based pricing, working in partnership with leading pricing software developer, Digonex. The club will be deploying the Digonex supplied Sports & Entertainment Analytical Ticketing System (SEATS), the first fully automated, demand based pricing system for event ticketing.


Demand based pricing allows the club to attract a wide range of supporters to matches through more flexible pricing for home fans, whilst rewarding loyal supporters with the right price for the right game at Cardiff City Stadium. The message will be clear - buy smart and buy early.


The prices for our home Championship fixtures from next season will fluctuate, dependant on a number of key factors. Ticket prices can change on a daily basis based on real-time conditions such as rivalries, match days and times, league position and other factors, effectively reflecting the real world demand for tickets. This means that supporters who choose to purchase their individual tickets early will get the best possible pricing deal before any potential fluctuation increases prices.


As a club we have always given the best pricing and priority to our season ticket holders and we will continue to reward their loyalty and commitment. Season ticket holders will always own the best-priced tickets, while retaining priority on all of our home and away games as a guarantee.


Our demand based pricing starting price will always be higher than that of the Ambassador Season Ticket Holders price for the equivalent price class and zone, but lower than the 2012/13 fixed match day pricing structure.
Ambassador season ticket holders will still receive significant savings over any demand based pricing structure. The move to demand pricing will offer greater flexibility and will ensure supporters will be paying the right price for the right product, importantly at the right time.
Cardiff City Football Club will be writing to all season ticket holders for the 2012/13 season to explain how the partnership will work in more detail, as well as how their season ticket package is broken down in terms of how much they have paid for specific matches.
"Once again the club are leading the way in innovation and we are all excited about the positive impact demand based pricing will have on both our attendance and revenue next season," said Cardiff City Football Club Chief Executive Alan Whiteley.
"We are excited to work with Digonex to offer our supporters a price incentive to come to matches at Cardiff City Stadium. Digonex has provided us with a new way to reach out to our fans and continue our commitment to providing them with a top notch spectacle at the best possible prices.
"While season ticket prices will always remain the most value and best way to support the club, dynamic match pricing is an exciting and emerging trend for football that our club will continue to refine and evaluate over the coming season."
Jan Eglen, Ph.D., CEO of Digonex said, "We've helped several organisations across a variety of sports launch successful programs demonstrating how demand based pricing can increase both ticket sales and profitability and so far the football clubs response to SEATS has been tremendous. This is an exciting collaboration for Digonex and for Cardiff City and they are to be commended for their pioneering efforts to bring fan based pricing to their supporters."
Sales of single game match tickets will begin soon for the 2012/13 season and will not affect season ticket holder prices.
Official supporter groups have already backed the initiative in Cardiff, with both the Supporters Club and Supporters Trust recognizing the positives of demand based pricing.
Howard Morris of Cardiff City Supporters Club said, "We believe that Cardiff City's new demand based pricing system for match tickets is just the ticket! It will provide value for money to regular and occasional match goers whilst giving assurances to season ticket holders that they will never be disadvantaged on cost.
"It will encourage supporters and families with tight budgets to buy their tickets early at a good price. The cost will also reflect the significance of the game, whether it be a promotion decider or a run of the mill fixture.Importantly it gives our football club the opportunity to optimise their revenue at both high and low profile games. It is a new modern 21st century system and is another step to show our football club is gearing itself up to becoming a Premier League Club."
Supporters Trust Chair, Tim Hartley added, "Dynamic ticket pricing is an innovative way to ensure the stadium is full and that can only improve the match day atmosphere. Season ticket holders will still be paying less than people buying on a game by game basis. There's a clear message to fans here - buy early and get the best price."
About Digonex: Digonex focuses primarily on development of automated and optimized pricing platforms for e-commerce, allowing client companies to increase customer retention and maximize revenue. Digonex has been awarded eight patents for its innovative pricing systems. For more information, visit Digonex.com

Will this work? If we were selling out every week then we could use the system to increase prices but considering that we could not even sell out against West ham at home in the playoffs then it will only work if we drop the prices to attract the crowds.

Paving the way to attracting the 'plastic fan' by the sounds of it.

Grow up, it doesn't matter whether they watch one or ten games it is about getting people into the stadium and watching a game of football, and hopefully they will want to watch more games, I don't for the life of me understand people who have this attitude that you are a plastic if you don't go on a regular basis, if you owned a pub, would you turn custom away because he or she only drinks at your pub once a week? to bloody right you wont, you welcome them, and hope they return, otherwise you don't make money and your pub will be empty.

Cant see it working myself. Quote"The highest tickets wont go above £35", but oh yes its much cheaper if you book your ticket early. Well the majority of floating fans may only decide to go to a game at the last minute only to find what would have been a £24 ticket is now £35 and wont bother. Its a fine line not to upset season ticket holders who have paid upfront to gain benefits the club will have to pitch the lower match tickets at prob just above what the equivalent match day price saving the ST holder gets. Its very ambigous and reading comments in the papers today most analysts think it will confuse people further

Cant see it working myself. Quote"The highest tickets wont go above £35", but oh yes its much cheaper if you book your ticket early. Well the majority of floating fans may only decide to go to a game at the last minute only to find what would have been a £24 ticket is now £35 and wont bother. Its a fine line not to upset season ticket holders who have paid upfront to gain benefits the club will have to pitch the lower match tickets at prob just above what the equivalent match day price saving the ST holder gets. Its very ambigous and reading comments in the papers today most analysts think it will confuse people further

For those who can afford and justify the expense, the easiest less confusing and cheapest way to watch us play, will be to buy a season ticket!

Makes perfect sense to change prices depending on who we are playing.

This will also highlight the advantages of season tickets and I wouldnt be surprised if this is the trump card and selling point at tonights meeting for season ticket holders who want a refund.

Im sure other clubs do this by simply allocating each game into bands (With band 1 - being the most expensive and most attractive game) down to band 5 etc.

What worries me is that we are using some sophisticated software to calculate this and how much we have to pay for it.

It doesnt take Einstein to calculate that West Ham in the playoff semi final would attract more interest than Peterborough on a cold wet February evening and therfore indicate that the West Ham game should be more expensive.