Ticketmaster ended screenshots with new digital ticket technology – TechCrunch



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Ticketmaster turns to new technologies to fight against fraud. The ticketing giant today unveiled its next-generation digital "Safetix" tickets, linked to the mobile device of the ticket holder through an encrypted barcode that updates automatically every few seconds. The tickets will also support NFC technology, allowing fans to enter the scene through a tap and go experience.

The company says that ticket holders will be able to add their contactless ticket to Apple Wallet later this year so they can enter a location with their iPhone or Apple Watch. This will also involve the use of proximity technology that automatically selects tickets when the phone is held near the ticket reader.

Apple and Ticketmaster have already tested SafeTix this month at the fintech Transact conference, says Ticketmaster.

The combination of new technologies aims to reduce ticket fraud.

Today, unscrupulous resellers take screenshots or photocopies of tickets that they then sell several times to unsuspecting victims. Since barcodes are now automatically refreshed, a saved photo will not work.

In practice, however, this may be inconvenient for some people who previously appreciated the ease of ticket capture and then sent it to a friend – which is much faster than using the transfer feature on Ticketmaster's website. and in its application.

This change could also complicate things when registering on the site, as users would fumble with their phones to understand how their new passes work, at least in the short term.

For fans, the change means that they will have to transfer their tickets to friends, or to any other person to whom they are selling a ticket, using the recipient's phone number or email address. As a result, Ticketmaster gains visibility on the chain of custody of each ticket, he notes. This data can then be forwarded to event owners, who will now have information about the owner of the original ticket and the actual participant, as well as any other person with access to the ticket.

It also means that sites and event owners can target participants with other offers and event information, such as food, beverage or derivative agreements, or place-specific instructions. . These are fans they could not have reached in the past, if the fan had entered the room using only a screenshot on their phone, for example, or a paper ticket. The owner of the event or venue may even choose to follow up with fans after the end of the event, Ticketmaster says.

"Since a new ticket is issued whenever there is a transfer or a sale, event owners have the opportunity to develop a unique relationship with each fan, allowing a on-site customization and future communication while increasing the number of their fans, "said Justin Burleigh, Chief Product Manager of Ticketmaster, North America, in a statement about the launch. "SafeTix will allow fans to arrive at a show or match knowing that their tickets are still 100% authentic and will significantly reduce the number of fraudulent people who buy tickets on the day of the event," he added. .

SafeTix is ​​not immediately available everywhere, but begins to deploy in specific locations and events. At first, they will be used in all stages of the NFL for the 2019 season and for a variety of acts of artists on tour.

They will then be available on Ticketmaster's "Presence" sites – which now has 300 locations in the US, where proximity technologies such as NFC, RFID and audio are used. (Note: Ticketmaster has partnered with finalist Lisnr on the Battlefield TechCrunch Disrupt on the audio recording feature.)

SafeTix is ​​just one of the ways that Ticketmaster uses technology in live events. The company also uses Blink Identity facial recognition tools, on which it has also invested on some sites. And last fall, Ticketmaster acquired Blockchain's Upgraded ticketing company for future enhancements to identity-based ticketing.

The transition to SafeTix should not, however, be a major change for NFL fans. Ticketmaster said that in 2018, 97% of fans had entered rooms using Ticketmaster technology during the 2018 season. Ticketmaster Presence is expected to be installed on more than 350 sites in 2019.

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