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Frictionless payment: Are amusements leading or following today’s consumer?

The move towards e-payment and contactless connectivity of facility management has accelerated at an amazing pace since the start of the pandemic.

Image courtesy of Embed.

March 28, 2022 by Kevin Williams

The impact that frictionless payment will be having on the retail and hospitality markets made headlines late last year with news that Amazon and Starbucks were holding high level discussions regarding the launching of a cashless coffee chain.

The co-branded concept will employ "Amazon Go," the payment and purchase handling platform that has already been deployed in the Amazon grocery store pilot, Amazon Fresh: Just Walk Out Shopping. The concept is still in an early stage of discussion, with only initial renderings created of what a store may look like, with the facilities being proposed as totally cashless, employing the smart app purchase system.

How long will it be before we see the first totally cashless amusement venue?

Consumer acceptance drives change

The move towards e-payment and contactless connectivity of facility management has accelerated at an amazing pace since the start of the pandemic. The audience is demanding a "low-touch" experience, be it the move to online booking, or the move towards e-payment and smart payment services.

Is the amusement industry leading or following from behind?

Digital wallets are certainly nothing new in the entertainment space.

Embed steps forward

It has been years since Embed unveiled its mobile wallet platform, offering the ability to have instant access to a customer virtual game card that resides in their personal wallet. Supporting a loyalty card and payment infrastructure, all compatible with the latest e-payment from the likes of Apple Wallet and Google Pay, has proven a strong component to the growing success of the platform.

The freedom of mobile guest services like an Apple Store is a major opportunity to change the entertainment facility landscape, supported by a flexible payment system.

Embed recently launched a new generation of payment stations — called the "Kiosk+," offering a large 27-inch touchscreen display with a skinny profile, both freestanding and wall mounted. This marks another trend for better contactless guest self-service interfaces.

The company has also introduced its "Breakaway: Game Card" an RF-based system that offers a physical game card that can transform into a wearable via a strap, allowing the user to select how they want to "snap, strap and play."

Other payment players aren't waiting in the wings.

Semnox Solutions LLC has rebranded its "Tixera" ticketing and management system, including its new "Radian" smart wristband after being granted a U.S. patent for the RFID-based technology which comprises haptic elements.

Connect&Go, pioneers in integrated attractions management solutions and RFID hardware, has launched "Konnect Express" — a combined mobile point-of-sale and mobile payment solution, all part of the platform. The company also recently closed its latest round of financing of $3 million, which brings the total raised by the corporation to $15 million.

The blockchain/crypto factor

Then there's the blockchain/cryptocurrency factor.

The "new way to pay" methodology that is impacting retail and social engagement through blockchain and cryptocurrency has also made inroads in the entertainment space, with moves in the cinema scene to embrace new payment options.

This development was first seen as AMC Theatres announced that its 950 theaters will now accept cryptocurrencies bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin as payment enabled through PayPal.

AMC also revealed it was in negotiation with BitPay, a crypto payment service provider, to support Shiba Inu, another cryptocurrency.

This news was followed a few days later with Regal Cinemas and its 500 global theater operation striking partnerships with Flexa — a digital payment network — to allow movie goers to purchase tickets and concessions using digital currency, including crypto, at their sites.

To further build on the frictionless cinema experience, Regal Cinemas also partnered with UberEats to offer an app for guests to order concessions at their seats.

The crypto influence was also seen in the launch of the "DogeCoaster" from EnterIdeas Group, a crypto meme-based ride, planned for launch this year.

The move to frictionless payment in combination with frictionless entertainment is clearly driving a new era in the amusement, attraction and social entertainment industries.

(Editor's note: Extracts from this blog are from recent coverage in The Stinger Report, published by KWP and its director, Kevin Williams, the leading interactive out-of-home entertainment news service covering the immersive frontier and beyond.)

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About Kevin Williams

Along with advisory positions with other entrants into the market he is founder and publisher of the Stinger Report, “a-must-read” e-zine for those working or investing in the amusement, attractions and entertainment industry. He is a prolific writer and provides regular news columns for main trade publications. He also travels the globe as a keynote speaker, moderator and panelist at numerous industry conferences and events. Author of “The Out-of-Home Immersive Entertainment Frontier: Expanding Interactive Boundaries in Leisure Facilities,” the only book on this aspect of the market, with the second edition scheduled for a 2023 release.

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