Article

MasterCard makes ordering popcorn easier with m-payment app

MC joins with Commonwealth Bank and Hoyt Corporation to launch new line-busting app at Australian cinemas.

January 24, 2012

MasterCard Worldwide is taking mobile payments to the movies. The company announced it has joined with Australia's Commonwealth Bank and movie theater chain The Hoyt Corporation to pilot a new line-busting app that lets Australian movie-goers order their movie snacks directly from their seats.

The new app, called QkR, uses NFC tags with a printed QR code on it to identify the movie-goers seat location. Theater patrons either scan the code or tap on the tag with an NFC-enabled to launch the app. They are then able to order food and drinks and pay for their purchases. Once completed, the order is delivered to their seats by theater staff. A video of the application being used by Matt Barr, MasterCard Australia's head of market development and innovation is below.

The service will be available starting later this month at Hoyt's La Premiere cinemas in Sydney. The application is available for both iPhone and Android devices.

"For our La Premiere guests, being able to purchase a meal, dessert or another round of drinks using QkR without missing a second of the movie is a real luxury!” said Hoyt CEO Delfin Fernandez in the announcement.

"Hoyts has long embraced new technology to give our guests the ultimate cinema experience," Fernandez said. "Digital and 3D advances have revolutionized the on-screen magic and now QkR will eliminate the hassle of having to leave the cinema auditorium to place another food or drink order."

This isn't the first time MasterCard has worked with Commonwealth Bank to deliver a mobile payment application. The companies partnered last year on Commbank Kaching, a mobile payment method that uses NFC for purchases at the point of sale.

"We’re focused on smart ways to simplify and improve the consumer experience,” Barr said in a statement. "QkR has many possible uses, and this pilot is just one great example of leveraging different technologies in a new way to create an easy and convenient ordering experience."

Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, executive general manager of business products and development for Commonwealth Bank, said more products like QKR are on the way.

"Our focus on technology and innovation has firmly positioned us at the forefront of the industry," Bayer Rosmarin said in the press release. "We will be continuing to explore new developments, including working closely with our partners and business clients, so we can continue to move the banking and payments market forward in Australia and support the evolving needs of our customers."

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