The MTS Centre will be the first venue in Canada, and second in North America, to support a new ‘paperless’ ticketing system.
Ticketmaster will be using the new technology to discourage ticket scalpers. What is a Scalper? A scalper is someone who purchases tickets to an event with no intent in attending. Instead the tickets are sold to fans for higher than face value.
Metallica’s show at the MTS Centre will be the first to implement the new system.
When tickets go on sale Saturday, the best 20% of seats will be sold paperless. An electronic ticket is issued to the buyers credit card. When the buyer enters the venue, he/she is required to swipe the credit card to obtain a stub with the seating numbers.
In the event that parents purchase tickets for their kids, or someone purchases them as a gift – the credit card should be borrowed. I don’t think parents and credit card companies are going to be to happy about that one.
What if you don’t have a credit card? You can access the paperless tickets and pay by cash at a Ticketmaster Box Office. You will have to provide your ID, your name is then attached to the paperless ticket. Your ID must again be present on the day of the event to gain entry.
The system does have its flaws, but should be a win situation for fans in the long run. In the event a credit card is lost, stolen, or damaged, specialized customer-service staff will be on hand at concerts to deal with the issues that arise.
The technology would ensure that the best seats in the house are being returned to the fans and that the artists/fans benefit from it all – not scalpers.
