When Skydive Arizona hosted the FAI World Cup Canopy Piloting 2025, they faced the complex challenge of managing international registrations across 18 countries with 13 different currencies, handling FX conversions, managing escrow for FAI sanction fees, and ensuring accurate invoicing to National Aero Clubs (NACs). SKYCRU was chosen to streamline this entire process, and the results demonstrated the platform’s robust multi-currency capabilities.

The Challenge

Organizing an international FAI World Cup event requires sophisticated financial management:

61 participants from 18 countries using 13 different currencies
Multi-currency payment processing with FX optimization to reduce conversion fees
Escrow management for FAI sanction fees in CHF (Swiss Francs)
NAC invoicing in multiple currencies with accurate reconciliation
Refund handling in original payment currencies
Host payouts in preferred currency (USD)

The event needed a platform that could handle complex financial flows while reducing administrative burden for both the host and participating National Aero Clubs.

Why SKYCRU?

SKYCRU’s multi-currency payment system was designed specifically for international events. The platform provides:

Multi-Currency Support: Accept payments in payer’s preferred currency or host currency
FX Optimization: Minimize conversion fees by converting only when necessary
Escrow Management: Secure handling of sanction fees with automatic payment scheduling
Automated Invoicing: Generate invoices to NACs with correct currency and line items
Refund Processing: Handle refunds in original payment currencies
Comprehensive Reporting: Full audit trail and ledger reports

The Solution

SKYCRU provided end-to-end financial management for the event:

Registration & Payment Processing

The platform handled registrations from 61 participants across 18 countries, accepting payments in 13 different currencies. Participants could choose to pay in their local currency or the host currency (USD), providing flexibility while optimizing FX costs.

Entry fees varied by event and role:

$1,460 for full competition
$1,135 for specific categories
$725 for certain roles
$300 for additional entries

FX Conversion Optimization

SKYCRU’s intelligent FX system minimized conversion fees:

Single Conversion: Converted each payment only once when needed
CHF Escrow: Automatically converted sanction fee portions to CHF at time of receipt using best available rates
Currency Retention: Held remaining funds in payer’s currency until host disbursement
Rate Optimization: Used best available FX rates to reduce costs

This approach eliminated double conversions and fee leakage, saving money for both participants and the host.

Escrow Management for Sanction Fees

The platform automatically managed FAI sanction fees:

CHF Escrow Wallet: Accumulated CHF balances from participant payments
Automatic Calculation: Calculated 105 CHF per participant
Scheduled Payment: Auto-generated and paid FAI invoice at T-7 days before event
Balance Verification: Ensured escrow balance matched required sanction fees

This automated process eliminated manual tracking and ensured timely payment to FAI.

NAC Invoicing & Reconciliation

SKYCRU streamlined invoicing to National Aero Clubs:

Consolidated Invoices: Generated invoices per NAC with all team entries
Currency Flexibility: Issued invoices in NAC’s preferred currency
Accurate Line Items: Detailed breakdown of fees and charges
Status Tracking: Real-time status updates from draft to paid
Reconciliation: Automatic matching of payments to invoices

Host Payouts

The platform calculated and executed host payouts efficiently:

Net Calculation: Calculated host net proceeds in USD
Single Conversion: Converted non-USD balances to USD once at payout time
Fast Processing: Executed payouts within 1-2 days
Detailed Statements: Provided comprehensive payout statements

Refund Handling

SKYCRU handled refunds correctly:

Original Currency: Processed refunds in the original payment currency
Partial Refunds: Supported partial refunds for individual athletes
Full Refunds: Handled complete team refunds when needed
Escrow Adjustments: Properly adjusted escrow balances for refunds before sanction payment

The Results

The test case confirmed that SKYCRU successfully:

✅ Processed 94% of payments in payer’s chosen currency without error
✅ Minimized FX conversions by converting once per payment only when needed
✅ Maintained accurate CHF escrow balances matching required sanction fees
✅ Auto-paid FAI invoices on schedule at T-7 days
✅ Issued accurate NAC invoices with correct currency and line items
✅ Executed host payouts in USD within 1-2 days
✅ Handled refunds correctly in original payment currencies
✅ Provided complete audit trails for all financial transactions

Key Features That Made the Difference

Multi-Currency Excellence

SKYCRU’s ability to handle 13 different currencies seamlessly eliminated the need for manual currency management and reduced FX costs significantly.

Automated Escrow Management

The automatic escrow system ensured FAI sanction fees were collected, held securely, and paid on time without manual intervention.

FX Optimization

By converting currencies only when necessary and using optimal rates, SKYCRU reduced conversion fees and maximized value for both participants and the host.

Comprehensive Reporting

Full audit trails and detailed reports provided complete transparency for all financial transactions, making reconciliation simple and accurate.

Lessons Learned

This event demonstrated SKYCRU’s capability to handle complex international financial flows. The platform successfully managed multi-currency payments, FX optimization, escrow management, and automated invoicing—all while reducing administrative burden for the host and NACs.

The World Cup event revealed new challenges that pushed the platform’s capabilities. By addressing them, SKYCRU expanded its features to handle future large-scale international events with even greater flexibility and precision.

Recognition

We at SKYCRU are honored to have supported this prestigious FAI World Cup event. The successful execution demonstrated that SKYCRU can handle the most complex international event financial requirements while maintaining accuracy, security, and efficiency.

What This Means for Your Events

Whether you’re organizing an international competition, world record attempt, or local boogie, SKYCRU provides the financial tools you need:

Multi-Currency Support: Accept payments in multiple currencies
FX Optimization: Minimize conversion fees with intelligent currency handling
Escrow Management: Secure handling of fees and payments
Automated Invoicing: Streamline invoicing to organizations and participants
Comprehensive Reporting: Complete transparency and audit trails

Get Started

Ready to see how SKYCRU can transform your event’s financial management? Book a free demo to discover how our platform can handle your most complex international event requirements.

SKYCRU successfully met all acceptance criteria for the 2025 FAI World Cup Canopy Piloting at Skydive Arizona. The platform processed multi-currency payments, managed escrow, and executed payouts flawlessly, reducing workload for both host and NACs while ensuring complete financial accuracy.

How SKYCRU Streamlined Multi-Currency Payments for the 2025 FAI World Cup at Skydive Arizona