It’s common for ticket resellers to use screenshots and photocopies of real tickets to sell in bunches to unknowing ticket buyers. To combat this fraud, Ticketmaster will start using a new technology called SafeTix, which is tied to a ticket holder’s mobile device via an encrypted barcode that refreshes every few seconds. Additionally, SafeTix supports NFC technology that allows fans to enter venues using a “tap and go” experience, and users will soon be able to use SafeTix via Apple Wallet on their iPhones and Apple Watches.
According to Ticketmaster, SafeTix represents the first time the company “has ever rolled out NFC-based ticketing at scale,” reports TechCrunch.
This new technology could potentially complicate the process of venue check-in as users figure out how the new platform works. And instead of sharing screenshots to give tickets to friends, users will now have to use the official in-app transfer feature, which requires the recipient’s phone number or email address.
“As a result, Ticketmaster gains visibility into the custody chain of each ticket, it notes. And that data can then be turned over to event owners, who will now have information about both the original ticket owner and the actual attendee, as well as anyone else who had access to the ticket,” according to TechCrunch.
This could also mean that venue management can target ticket holders with food and drink offers, and more, or could choose to follow up with them post-event.
“Because a new ticket is issued every time there’s a transfer or sale, event owners have the ability to develop a unique relationship with each fan, leading to in-venue personalization and future communication while increasing their known fanbase,” said chief product officer of Ticketmaster North America, Justin Burleigh in a statement.
Before becoming widely available, SafeTix will roll out across NFL stadiums during the 2019 season and across various touring artists’ acts, as well. They’ll later be available at Ticketmaster’s ‘Presence-enabled’ venues, which “includes 300 venues across the U.S. where proximity-based technologies like NFC, RFID, and audio are used,” adds TechCrunch.
No Comments Yet
You can be the first to comment!
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.