Why pay hefty commissions to third-party ticketing providers when you could sell tickets yourself? That was the idea behind AC Oulu's Seurakauppa, a custom-built online store developed by its long-term technology partner, Codemate.
Launched in 2021, Seurakauppa has grown from a simple online store into a ticketing and event management system serving AC Oulu's soccer, basketball, and volleyball operations. Today, the platform handles well over half a million euros in sales annually.
In 2026, Codemate carried out a major upgrade to support the opening of the new OTC Stadion. The work included assigned-seat ticketing, a redesigned shopping experience, and new tools for managing ticket sales and stadium entry. Having its own ticketing platform has given AC Oulu greater control over its operations and the freedom to develop the service as its needs change.
Lower costs and more control over ticket sales
Sports clubs often rely on third-party ticketing providers, whose commissions and service fees can increase ticket prices for fans or reduce the club's share of ticket revenue.
AC Oulu wanted a more affordable and flexible way to sell match tickets and season passes. Running its own platform still involves maintenance and payment processing costs, but the club has made significant savings on third-party fees.
We wanted to keep ticket prices competitive and have control over what our fans actually pay. Having our own Seurakauppa gives us that freedom.
Sami Leikas, CFO, AC Oulu
The club can also introduce new ticket types, campaigns, discount codes, and partner benefits without waiting for an external provider to make changes. Ticket sales and event data remain under AC Oulu's control and can be used to support planning and decision-making.
Seurakauppa has grown alongside AC Oulu
Codemate and AC Oulu had already worked together for several years when the club decided to develop its own ticketing platform. They continued the partnership with the Seurakauppa project.
Development began in spring 2021, and the first version went live that same spring. Built on WooCommerce, the platform initially supported soccer match tickets, season passes, merchandise sales, and digital ticket validation.
As AC Oulu expanded, Seurakauppa evolved to meet its changing needs. Codemate added digital season passes, features for campaigns and partners, and reporting tools.
In 2025, Seurakauppa expanded to cover basketball and volleyball alongside soccer. Codemate developed a solution that allows tickets and products for all three sports to be managed through a single online store, with payments directed to the company responsible for each sport.
AC Oulu now has one online store serving its growing community across all three sports.
A new stadium brought new ticketing requirements
The opening of AC Oulu's new OTC Stadion in 2026 called for a major upgrade to Seurakauppa.
Previously, assigned seating had only been available for season passes. With the new stadium, fans also needed to be able to choose their seats when buying individual match tickets.
Codemate developed interactive seating maps and updated the ticketing system to meet these requirements. The team also built a custom WooCommerce plugin to reduce reliance on third-party software and make future changes easier to implement.
The upgrade included new tools for staff working on matchdays. Codemate developed a box-office interface for on-site ticket sales, an application called Seuranta for monitoring ticket sales and stadium entry in real time, and a custom QR code scanning app for checking tickets and season passes.
Seurakauppa now supports the entire ticketing process, from buying tickets online to checking them at the stadium gates and monitoring attendance during matches.
The new stadium brought a whole new set of requirements for ticketing. We wanted to build a system that would work reliably even with a full stadium, while giving AC Oulu the flexibility to manage it according to its own needs.
Jouni Kovasin, Delivery Lead, Codemate
In fall 2026, Codemate also updated Seurakauppa's design to match AC Oulu's refreshed brand. The new interface makes it easier to find tickets, season passes, and merchandise for the different sports. The checkout process was also redesigned to make buying easier on both desktop and mobile.
A sold-out opening match put the system to the test
The upgraded Seurakauppa faced its first major test on September 12, 2026, when AC Oulu played Gnistan in the sold-out opening match at OTC Stadion.
With 5,022 spectators attending, the event put the new ticketing and entry management tools to the test.
Codemate had developed and tested the new features carefully ahead of the match. The preparation paid off: ticket sales and entry checks ran smoothly, with no significant technical issues.
The opening match demonstrated that Seurakauppa could handle ticketing and entry management reliably, even for large crowds.
A profitable investment and a long-term partnership
Building its own ticketing platform has paid off for AC Oulu. Seurakauppa now accounts for a significant share of the combined revenue of the companies operating the club's different sports. Although maintaining the platform requires more work than relying entirely on an external ticketing provider, AC Oulu considers the benefits well worth the effort.
The investment paid for itself remarkably quickly.
Sami Leikas, CFO, AC Oulu
Codemate and AC Oulu have worked together for roughly a decade. Alongside Seurakauppa, Codemate has developed other digital services for the club, including its mobile app.
Over the years, Codemate has become familiar with AC Oulu's operations and the needs of its different sports. The team takes part in planning new features and designing the user experience, and that familiarity helps it respond quickly when new requirements arise.
Working with Codemate has been really easy and straightforward. The team knows our business well, and whenever we've needed help, they've been quick to respond.
Sami Leikas, CFO, AC Oulu
Development will continue beyond the 2026 upgrade. Seurakauppa can be extended to support ticket sales for other types of events, and further development of AC Oulu's digital services is also planned.
What started as a way to reduce ticketing costs has become a valuable business asset, giving AC Oulu more control, greater flexibility, and room to grow.
