Mr. & Mrs. Sparkles make the switch to Intercard for a friendlier cashless experience

By | October 5, 2021

ST. LOUIS — Intercard, the world leader in cashless technology for the amusement industry, has installed its latest systems in Georgia at the Sparkles Family Fun Center in Kennesaw and the Starlite Family Fun Center in Sharpsburg. These popular roller skating FECs are owned and operated by two generations of the Couey family.

Jeff and Ava Couey, known in the roller skating world as “Mr. & Mrs. Sparkles” are life-long skaters who helped pioneer the modern skating FEC by adding kids’ playgrounds, two-story laser tag and bigger arcades to their two rinks in Georgia. Jeff, a dedicated booster of roller skating, is a former president of the Roller Skating Association, the industry’s trade group.

Michael and Clint Couey, the sons of Jeff and Ava, operate three skating FECs of their own in Georgia. They have added their first Intercard cashless technology system to their Starlite Family Fun Center in Sharpsburg, Georgia.

Jeff Couey initially embraced cashless technology to enhance his customers’ arcade experience, sell gift cards and complement party packages. When his first system unexpectedly became obsolete due to changes made by the vendor, he made the switch to Intercard.

“We switched to Intercard because our previous vendor changed their card readers and we would have had to buy a whole new system as a result,” says Jeff. “We didn’t like being forced into that situation. Also, the [old] system would go offline or something would happen and it wouldn’t function. We heard from other people that Intercard support is much better.”

Ultimately the Couey family plan to go cashless across all of their attractions including food and beverage operations. Intercard’s ability to manage multiple cashless locations safely and securely was another reason they switched.

Mr. and Mrs. Sparkles also give top marks to Rachelle Granger, their Intercard sales rep, who has made a special outreach to the skating industry for several years at trade shows and other events. “Rachelle’s always been so helpful and explained so many things to us. She’s always been there, but never pushy,” says Ava Couey. “She’d always let us know ‘I’m here if you need me.’”