Buzz
At the event entrance, tickets are scanned for entry.Written by Dave Roos
Your favorite band is coming to town for their ultimate reunion concert. The tickets are online, but the event is just two days away! In the past, you'd have to deal with sky-high shipping fees, wait in long will-call lines, or rely on a ticket reseller.
Now, with mobile ticketing, you can receive your tickets directly on your cell phone. No need for printing them anymore. The tickets arrive as a text message containing a unique barcode. When you arrive at the venue, the barcode is scanned, and you gain entry.
This article will guide you through the essentials of mobile ticketing, highlighting its key features and various uses in this exciting and innovative service.
Here’s a simple guide on how to purchase and use mobile tickets for events:
1. Buy your ticket online and select "mobile ticketing" as your preferred delivery method.
2. Provide your phone number, mobile carrier, and phone model during the checkout process.
3. Once your purchase is completed, you’ll receive a text message. If your phone supports MMS or WAP, the message will contain a barcode image. If your phone only supports text, you’ll receive a special alphanumeric code that can be entered manually at the event.
4. Keep the text message in your inbox and do not delete it. This message is your ticket, so save it for easy access.
5. When you reach the event, open the text message and show your phone to the ticket staff at the entrance. As mobile ticketing is still new, the venue may direct you to a specific gate or door with a compatible barcode reader. If the barcode is not readable or your phone doesn’t support images, the staff will manually enter the barcode number.
6. Depending on the event, you may be given a paper ticket at the gate, or some events might operate entirely on mobile tickets without printing a physical ticket.
Now, let's explore the various useful features and applications of mobile ticketing.
Your phone can send and receive images if it supports MMS or WAP.
MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service, a service that goes beyond simple text messages (SMS) and allows multimedia content like images, audio, and video clips.
WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol, a technology that lets wireless devices access the web and run applications. Older WAP phones may only access mobile-optimized web pages, while newer devices can view standard webpages.
If your phone has a camera, it likely supports MMS. If it can browse the web, it also supports WAP.
The good news is that mobile tickets come with both a barcode and an alphanumeric code (letters and numbers). So even if your phone can’t display the barcode image, staff can manually enter the code.
Mobile Ticketing: Features and Uses
You can now carry baseball tickets directly on your phone.Mobile tickets have the potential to replace traditional paper tickets in almost any scenario. Many modern venues for sports and concerts are already equipped with barcode scanners to process paper tickets, making the transition to mobile tickets easy. This technology could expand to areas such as sporting events, concerts, movie theaters, nightclubs, transportation, conferences, and more.
In June 2006, Guns N' Roses held the first ever "ticketless" concert in London, and Fergie, the former Black Eyed Peas lead vocalist, offered a completely paperless experience on her 2007 Verizon VIP Tour.
Tickets.com has introduced a new service called Tickets@Phone that sends tickets directly to your cell phone. Currently, two baseball teams—the Washington Nationals and Oakland A's—use this service to offer mobile ticketing as one of their options.
The biggest benefit of mobile ticketing is its convenience. If your phone is WAP-enabled, you can purchase, store, and use your tickets directly from your phone. There's no need to wait in line at the cinema or the stadium, and you don't even have to pick up your pre-ordered ticket at the box office. Simply walk straight to the gate.
Mobile ticketing also has the potential to boost revenue for concert promoters and ticket vendors. With the ability to sell tickets right up until the event starts, they can instantly deliver them to your phone. Additionally, they can sell unclaimed tickets at the last minute to those waiting for available seats, maximizing sales.
Mobile ticketing cuts down on processing costs for both the vendor and the customer. The vendor avoids printing and delivery charges, and the customer is free from extra fees. Plus, using less paper is a win for the environment.
Mobile tickets are more secure than traditional paper tickets. With added security features, the possibility of fraud or theft is significantly reduced. Tickets can be 'locked' to the customer's phone, preventing them from being forwarded. Additionally, the ticket can include the customer's name and even a photo to verify identity at the entrance.
If a mobile ticket is lost or the text message gets deleted by mistake, it's easy for the vendor to cancel the old ticket and send a replacement.
Mobile ticketing is still in its early stages, but it holds great potential as an exciting new convenience for cell phone users everywhere.
Keep reading to discover more about mobile ticketing and the technology that powers it.
In Japan, there are Coca-Cola vending machines called "cmode" that allow cell phone payments through barcodes. These vending machines are part of NTT DoCoMo's i-mode wireless Internet service, which is the largest mobile Web service provider in Japan. Some taxis in Japan are also starting to accept cell phone payments.
These vending machines and taxis are part of a broader market trial exploring the potential of so-called "wallet phones." The concept is that one day, your cell phone will replace everything you carry: cash, credit cards, keys, gym memberships, train tickets, movie tickets, your driver's license, and more. This seems increasingly plausible given the trend of cell phones converging into multifunctional devices like music players, photo albums, and portable movie theaters.
