GETTING AHEAD OF THE TECH CURVE

CINEMA SHOULD EMBRACE MOBILE PAYMENTS

It's On The Way

The trend of consumers paying at retail site via their smartphones will really start to pick up in 2012. Discussed in prior posts (see Weekly CineBuzz - October 5th, Ten Years After - July 10th, and Moola Report - June 19th) mobile payments will become very popular.

Near-field communication (or NFC) is the technology powering mobile payments via smartphones but it will soon trickle down to other devices, and this is not just me talking.  In-Stat, the top-notch media research firm, is predicting that NFC chip production "will reach 1.2 billion by 2015".

Google is using NFC for its Google Wallet mobile payment system and eBay, through its subsidiary PayPal (which at present focuses on payments via mobile apps, credit cards, and phone numbers) will also be using NFC technology in the future. In fact, virtually all mobile devices will carry the NFC chip.

Cinemas Need This Now!

Next year, you'll be seeing major retailers launching marketing programs that integrate "smart payment posters" into their in-store, web, social network, print, and out-door advertising which will feature the use of mobile payment.

Cinemas should get ahead of this technology and adopt its use NOW!

Cheers and Happy Movie Going
Jim Lavorato