Who is responsible for provisioning, monitoring, and managing the infrastructure for the FreedomPay commerce platform used by Crowne Plaza?

According to the 2025 Crowne Plaza FDD, FreedomPay is responsible for the infrastructure of its commerce platform. Specifically, FreedomPay owns, operates, and is accountable for provisioning, monitoring, and managing the infrastructure that supports its services. This infrastructure is physically housed on servers within dedicated or locked cages in FreedomPay's network data centers, which provide power, network, and carrier services.

This arrangement means that Crowne Plaza franchisees do not have to worry about the technical complexities of maintaining the hardware and systems required for processing transactions through the FreedomPay platform. Instead, FreedomPay handles the behind-the-scenes operations, ensuring that the system is running smoothly and securely. This can significantly reduce the IT burden on franchisees, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their hotel operations.

It is important for franchisees to understand that while FreedomPay manages the infrastructure, the franchisee is responsible for certain aspects of using the platform. For example, the Crowne Plaza franchisee must comply with all applicable laws and regulations when using the services, and they are responsible for maintaining the security of their own login information. Additionally, the franchisee is responsible for obtaining any necessary consumer consents related to the services offered by FreedomPay.