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Flow: Away Match Tickets (Non-Numbered Seats)

Actor

Fan purchasing tickets for Croatian national team away match; Admin managing away match ticket allocation

Preconditions

  • Away match created with Match Type: AWAY
  • Stadium configured via Match Stadium Configuration - Flow B
  • Croatian Football Federation allocated ticket quota by away venue
  • Stadium configured as "Non-numbered" (seat map TBD or not available)
  • Tickets available for public sale and/or quota allocation

Overview

Away matches often start without specific seat assignments. This flow covers:

  1. Initial Sales - Selling tickets without seat numbers (quantity-based)
  2. Quota Management - Allocating tickets to sponsors/partners
  3. Seat Assignment - HNS creates sector map and assigns seats using Snake algorithm
  4. Export to Away Venue - Send attendee list with seat assignments to away federation
  5. Ticket Delivery - Either HNS app tickets OR PDF tickets from away venue

Stadium Configuration

For stadium creation and configuration, see Match Stadium Configuration - Flow B: AWAY Match.

Part 1: Initial Ticket Sales (Non-Numbered)

Prerequisites

Stadium configured with:

  • Stadium name, city, country (e.g., "Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar")
  • Sectors defined with total capacity and technical seats
  • "Non-numbered seats" option enabled
  • Pricing configured

1. Match Goes On Sale

  • Admin opens match for public sale via Match Management
  • System displays match with:
    • Away venue details
    • Total Croatian fan allocation (e.g., 500 tickets)
    • Sellable capacity (Total - Technical seats)
    • Note: "Seats will be assigned closer to match date"
  • Tickets available for purchase without specific seat numbers

2. Customer Purchase Flow (Mobile App)

  • Fan browses upcoming matches in HNS mobile app
  • Selects away match (e.g., "Gibraltar vs Croatia")
  • System displays:
    • Match details and venue
    • Pricing with pre-sale discount (valid until day before match)
    • Notice: "Seat assignments will be provided closer to match date"
  • Fan selects quantity (up to 4 tickets)
  • Proceeds through standard purchase flow:
    • Enter ticket holder information for each ticket
    • Payment via gateway
  • Order confirmed with status: "Confirmed - Pending seat assignment"
  • Confirmation shows:
    • Order number
    • Match details
    • Number of tickets
    • Message: "Your seat numbers will be assigned and sent to you before the match"

Part 2: Quota Allocation for Away Matches

Quotas for away matches follow the standard quota workflow. See:

Non-Numbered Difference

For non-numbered matches, quota holders select quantity in Step 1 of the claiming process (instead of selecting specific seats). Seat assignments are made later by admin using the Snake algorithm (see Part 3).

Part 3: Sales Closure and Seat Assignment

1. Sales Period Closure

  • Admin monitors sales progress
  • When sales period ends (typically 1-2 weeks before match):
    • Admin manually closes sales, OR
    • System auto-closes on configured deadline
  • System generates sales summary:
    • Public Orders: X orders, Y tickets
    • Quota Orders: X orders, Y tickets (with status breakdown: ALLOCATED/RESERVED/SOLD)
    • Total tickets sold: Combined count
    • Remaining allocation: Unsold tickets
  • System locks orders (no new purchases accepted)

2. Admin Creates Sector Map

Once HNS receives sector allocation information from away federation (e.g., "Block C, 500 seats"):

  • Admin navigates to match stadium configuration
  • Clicks "Add Seat Map"
  • Creates sector layout in system:
    • Sector Name: e.g., "Away Stand Block C"
    • Rows: Number of rows (e.g., 1-15)
    • Seats per Row: Seats in each row (e.g., 1-35)
    • Total Capacity: Auto-calculated (e.g., 525 seats)
    • Technical Seats: Mark any non-sellable positions
  • System validates: seat map capacity ≥ sold tickets
  • Admin saves sector configuration

3. Execute Seat Assignment (Snake Algorithm)

  • Admin clicks "Assign Seats to Sold Tickets"
  • Configures assignment priority:
    • Option 1: Quota First - Quota orders get front/best seats, then public orders
    • Option 2: Chronological - All orders mixed by purchase timestamp
  • Admin sets starting position (e.g., Row 1, Seat 1)
  • Snake Algorithm processes orders:
    • Fills Row 1 left-to-right (Seats 1→35)
    • Fills Row 2 right-to-left (Seats 35→1)
    • Fills Row 3 left-to-right (Seats 1→35)
    • Continues snaking pattern through all rows
  • For each order:
    • All tickets in order assigned adjacent seats
    • Ensures groups sit together
  • Progress displayed: "Assigning seats... 150/167 orders complete"

Example Assignment (Quota First Priority):

Order Type Order # Tickets Assigned Seats
Quota Hrvatski Telekom 4 Row 1, Seats 1-4
Quota HNS Officials 3 Row 1, Seats 5-7
Quota Media Partners 2 Row 1, Seats 8-9
Public Order #1 3 Row 1, Seats 10-12
Public Order #2 2 Row 1, Seats 13-14
... ... ... ...

4. Review and Confirm Assignments

  • System displays assignment summary:
    • Total orders assigned
    • Total tickets assigned
    • Sector/rows used
    • Remaining unassigned seats
  • Admin reviews sample assignments
  • Admin clicks "Finalize Seat Assignments"
  • System updates all tickets from "Pending seat assignment" to "Confirmed with seats"

Part 4: Export to Away Venue

After seat assignment, HNS exports the attendee list to send to the away federation.

1. Generate Export

  • Admin navigates to match detail page
  • Clicks "Export Attendee List for Away Venue"
  • System generates Excel file containing:
    • Attendee Name (full name)
    • Date of Birth
    • Nationality
    • Passport Number
    • Sector
    • Row
    • Seat Number
  • File named: CRO_Fans_[MatchName]_[Date].xlsx

2. Send to Away Federation

  • Admin downloads Excel file
  • Sends to away federation/venue via official channels
  • Away federation confirms receipt
  • Timeline: Typically 5-7 days before match

3. Away Venue Response

Away venue reviews the list and responds with one of two options:

Option A: Accept HNS Mobile App Tickets

  • Away venue confirms they will accept HNS mobile app QR codes at entry
  • Fans will use HNS app tickets (standard flow)
  • Proceed to Part 5A

Option B: Away Venue Issues Own Tickets

  • Away venue will issue their own PDF tickets
  • Away venue sends PDF tickets to HNS for distribution
  • Fans will NOT use HNS app for entry
  • Proceed to Part 5B

Part 5A: Ticket Delivery via HNS App

When away venue accepts HNS mobile app tickets:

1. Notify Customers

  • System sends email to all ticket holders:
    • Subject: "Your Croatia Away Match Tickets - Seats Assigned!"
    • Order number and match details
    • Seat assignments (Sector, Row, Seat)
    • Instructions to view in HNS mobile app
    • Travel information (match date, stadium address, entry requirements)
  • Push notification sent to HNS app

2. Tickets in App

  • Tickets appear in "My Tickets" section with:
    • Sector: Away Stand Block C
    • Row and Seat numbers
    • QR code (available 5 hours before match)
  • Standard app ticket experience
  • Can add to Apple Wallet / Google Pay

3. Stadium Entry

  • Fans use HNS mobile app QR code at entry gates
  • Away venue scans QR codes for validation
  • Standard entry process

Part 5B: Ticket Delivery via External PDF

When away venue issues their own tickets:

1. Receive PDF Tickets from Away Venue

  • Away venue sends PDF tickets to HNS
  • PDFs typically contain:
    • Venue's official ticket design
    • Barcode/QR code for their entry system
    • Seat assignment matching our export
  • Admin receives PDF files (individual or bulk)

2. Match PDFs to Orders

  • Admin navigates to "Away Match Ticket Distribution"
  • Uploads PDF tickets received from away venue
  • System matches PDFs to orders by:
    • Attendee name, OR
    • Seat number, OR
    • Manual assignment by admin
  • Admin reviews and confirms matching

3. Mass Email Distribution

  • Admin clicks "Distribute PDF Tickets"
  • System sends personalized email to each ticket holder:
    • Subject: "Your Official Ticket for [Match] - [Away Venue Name]"
    • Email contains:
      • Match details and travel information
      • Attached PDF ticket from away venue
      • Important notice: "Use this PDF ticket for entry. Your HNS app ticket will NOT be valid at this venue."
      • Instructions for printing or showing on mobile
      • Away venue entry guidelines
  • System logs delivery status for each email

4. Update HNS App Display

  • Tickets in HNS app updated to show:
    • Badge: "External Ticket Required"
    • Message: "This venue requires the official PDF ticket sent to your email. Your HNS app QR code will not work at this stadium."
    • Seat information still visible for reference
  • QR code disabled/hidden for this match

5. Handle Delivery Issues

  • Admin monitors email delivery status
  • For failed deliveries:
    • System flags undelivered tickets
    • Admin can resend or update email address
    • Can manually send PDF via alternative channel
  • Customer support available for ticket retrieval

Alternative Flows

A1: Seat Map Available at Match Creation

  • If away venue provides seat map before sales start:
    • Admin uploads seat map during stadium configuration
    • Match sold as numbered (not non-numbered)
    • Customers see and select specific seats during purchase
    • No post-sale assignment needed

A2: Partial Seat Map (Multiple Sectors)

  • Away venue assigns Croatian fans to multiple sectors
  • Admin creates seat map for each sector
  • System assigns seats sector by sector
  • Can prioritize certain orders for preferred sectors

A3: Insufficient Seat Capacity

  • Seat map capacity < sold tickets
  • System blocks assignment and alerts admin
  • Admin must:
    • Contact away venue for additional allocation, OR
    • Process refunds for excess tickets

A4: Quota Holder Requests Seat Change

  • After assignment, quota holder requests different seats
  • Admin can manually reassign if:
    • Seats available in requested location
    • Doesn't disrupt other group assignments
  • Uses Admin Seat Operations for manual changes

A5: Late Quota Claim After Seat Assignment

  • Quota deadline is visual reminder only
  • If quota holder claims after seats assigned:
    • New claim assigned to remaining unassigned seats
    • If no seats remain, claim blocked
  • Admin can manually allocate from unsold pool if needed

A6: PDF Ticket Not Received by Customer

  • Customer contacts support saying they didn't receive PDF
  • Support agent:
    • Verifies customer identity
    • Checks email delivery status in system
    • Resends PDF ticket to same or updated email
    • Can provide PDF via alternative channel if needed

A7: Mixed Entry Methods

  • Some away venues may accept both:
    • HNS app tickets for some gates
    • PDF tickets for other gates
  • Admin configures match with "Dual Entry" option
  • Customers receive both:
    • PDF ticket via email
    • Active QR code in app
  • Entry instructions clarify which to use at which gate

Post-Flow Actions

Match Day Coordination:

  • HNS liaison coordinates with away venue security
  • Confirms entry method (app or PDF)
  • Provides emergency contact for ticket issues

Attendance Tracking:

  • For HNS app entry: Automatic attendance tracking
  • For PDF entry: Away venue may provide scan data post-match
  • Loyalty points awarded based on available attendance data (see Match Management)

Last Updated: January 2026

Related Flows: