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Case study · Coworking & incubatorsINNOV8 Incubator wanted tenants to buy coffee, drinks, food and office supplies on site without cash, cards or a separate app. With a Wally Stored Value Card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, tenants top up a balance, tap at the counter and watch the balance update on the pass itself.
INNOV8 Incubator hosts startups and their teams under one roof, with an on-site café, a stocked pantry and an office-supplies desk. Small purchases happened all day, but every one of them meant cash, a card terminal or a tab someone had to chase at month end. The team wanted a single, cashless way for tenants to pay that felt part of the incubator rather than a bolt-on.
Wally issued each tenant a stored-value card in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. The pass carries the INNOV8 brand, the member's name, the validity date of their tenancy and, most importantly, a live balance in AED. Tenants top up at reception or online, then tap their phone at the café, pantry or supplies desk to pay.
Because the balance lives on the pass, tenants always know what they have left, and INNOV8 sees what sells, when and to whom. When a startup graduates or a tenancy ends, the card is switched off centrally.
When a company joins INNOV8, each team member receives a link and adds the stored-value card to their wallet. The validity date matches the tenancy.
Tenants add funds at reception or online. The new balance appears on the pass within seconds.
At the café, pantry or supplies desk the tenant taps their phone on the Wally reader. The amount is deducted and the balance updates on the card.
INNOV8 can credit a welcome balance, adjust a card, or deactivate it when a tenancy ends, without touching the phone.
Figures reported by INNOV8 Incubator after launch, compared with the previous programme.
Tenants hold their phone to the reader. The amount is deducted and the new balance appears on the pass immediately.
The café and supplies desk no longer count cash, run card terminals or reconcile paper vouchers.
The balance shown on the wallet pass is the source of truth, updated after every top-up and purchase.
A coffee, a snack, a pack of pens. When every transaction is tiny, prepaid balance removes the friction of paying rather than the cost.
Tenants never have to open an app or ask how much is left. Seeing the number change after a tap is what makes the card feel real.
Because the card expires with the lease, INNOV8 never chases graduated startups for open tabs or unused credit.
Redemption reports show what sells and when, so the café and pantry stock what tenants actually buy.
“Tenants top up once and tap for everything, from coffee to printer paper. It made the whole campus cashless overnight.”
Five decisions from the INNOV8 Incubator programme that transfer to any coworking & incubators operator.
Use stored value where purchases are small and frequent; use stamps or points where you want to reward frequency.
Show the balance on the pass itself. It removes support questions and makes top-ups feel safe.
Tie card validity to the membership or tenancy so off-boarding is automatic.
Put readers at every point of sale so the card works the same way everywhere on site.
Use welcome credit as an onboarding perk; it is cheaper than discounts and gets the card used on day one.
At reception or through an online top-up link. The balance on the wallet pass updates within seconds of the top-up being confirmed.
Anything sold on site: coffee and drinks at the café, food and snacks from the pantry, and office supplies from the supplies desk. Every point of sale has a Wally NFC reader.
No. The stored-value card lives in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. The tenant taps their phone on the reader and the amount is deducted.
The card is deactivated centrally at the end of the tenancy. Any remaining balance is handled according to INNOV8's policy, and no tabs are left open.
Yes. The same Wally Stored Value Card works for coworking spaces, university campuses, corporate canteens and members' clubs with on-site sales.
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