Never lose your ticket for a concert again.
This is the promise that mobile ticketing holds, said SISTIC, Singapore’s largest ticket provider.
At a press conference earlier this week on the 1st of December, SISTIC launched their m-ticket service, a paperless, mobile ticket service. The driving idea is that you’re more unlikely to misplace your phone than a paper ticket.
Tickets are delivered to your mobile phone via SMS. Tap on the link in the SMS, and you will be redirected to a secure webpage with a unique 2D-barcode that is your mobile ticket.
At the event itself, simply flash the ticket on your mobile phone, and the venue operators’ scanners will pick it up and let you through.
Thus far, the service will be piloted at shows at the Drama Centre, and will slowly be extended to other event venues like the Esplanade, said SISTIC CEO Kenneth Tan.
Access control systems are something the venue operators have to fork out for. But with scanners priced around S$1,000, SISTIC believes the adoption costs are affordable.
“The initial reaction to the m-ticket service has been a positive one,” Kenneth said.
Cost wise, the m-ticket is one of the cheaper forms of ticketing delivery provided by SISTIC as compared to mail (S$3) or courier (S$15). If you use a MasterCard credit or debit card to make your purchase, the fee for m-ticket delivery is waived. Of course, the other usual SISTIC administrative charges apply.
Patrons are given one m-ticket per show, no matter how many seats are bought, and the system is flexible enough that it allows for single or group entry.
One great benefit is that if your friend is late for the concert and you’re the ticket holder, you can simply forward him or her the sms and go in first. When he or she arrives, the latecomer can simply flash the m-ticket and go in — the SISTIC system keeps track of how many patrons have entered on that ticket.
Prior to this, somebody had to wait outside the concert hall to pass the laggard the physical ticket. And probably miss the beginning of the show.
Having organized and bought tickets for concerts for tardy friends before, I can say that this is a function is definitely useful.
You can find information on SISTIC’s m-ticket at their FAQ.
