Ticket Redemption: A New Apimac App for Arcades

For the past several months, the Apimac team has been working on a new project: Ticket Redemption, an app for iPhone and iPad designed to manage prize redemption at arcades.

Behind the Prize Counter

Anyone who has visited an arcade knows the excitement of collecting tickets while playing games and exchanging them for prizes. Behind this experience is a daily operation that requires organization and attention to detail. Staff receive the ticket receipts printed by ticket redemption machines, record the prizes awarded, and keep track of available inventory. Traditionally, these tasks have been handled with software installed on Windows PCs, often alongside specialized equipment. We began exploring how to handle the same work with smarter tools, making use of the capabilities of the devices that Apple users already rely on every day.

A New Approach to Prize Redemption

That idea led to Ticket Redemption: bringing prize counter management to Apple devices with an app designed specifically for iOS. The app takes advantage of the capabilities of these devices and is also an ideal fit for the new iPhone Duo, which opens up new possibilities through its form factor.
Imagine a customer arriving at the prize counter with a ticket receipt. Staff can scan it with their device and immediately see how many tickets the customer has available. Together, they can then choose a prize and record the redemption, keeping inventory up to date. The entire process takes place right on the device, making everyday tasks simple and convenient.
Prize counter operations involve much more than handing out prizes. Staff may add tickets to loyalty cards, manage timed activities such as billiards, table tennis, and darts, print prize labels, and issue receipts for leftover tickets. Ticket Redemption brings these tasks together in one app, making day-to-day arcade management easier.

A Companion App for Customers

The project also includes Redemption Gallery, an iPad app designed for arcade customers. Set up on a dedicated iPad in the arcade, it lets visitors browse the prize gallery and see which prizes they can redeem with the tickets they’ve collected before heading to the prize counter.

Freedom to Work Anywhere

Another important feature is the ability to use multiple Apple devices throughout the arcade, with information synchronized through iCloud. Staff can work on different devices while sharing the same up-to-date information and moving freely around the prize counter area, rather than being tied to a fixed workstation as is common with traditional PC-based systems.

Rethinking Traditional Arcade Software

For us, this project is a new way to approach a category of software that has long relied on PCs and specialized equipment. With Ticket Redemption, we wanted to bring this kind of work into the Apple ecosystem, using the versatility of Apple devices to make everyday operations more practical and flexible.
Ticket Redemption also grew out of the idea of rethinking a workflow traditionally built around desktop computers, which may be outdated for many of today’s needs, and making better use of the capabilities of modern Apple devices.

The app will be available on the Apple App Store starting in late October.

To learn more, visit the Ticket Redemption page on the Apimac website