MasterCard is attempting to help drive adoption of new payment technologies among golf fans at The Barclays in New Jersey by offering its cardholders a 10 percent discount when they use their MasterCard cards at the point of sale or leveraging Qkr! with MasterPass to order ahead.

Golf fans visiting The Barclays will be able to use their smartphones as a means of payment by visiting the contactless terminals placed throughout concession areas. As more event venues and stadiums begin rolling out these types of solutions, MasterCard is hoping to push adoption rates higher by offering cardholders a 10 percent discount on their purchase if they use the Qkr! with MasterPass application.

“Mobile payment platforms like Qkr! with MasterPass are already starting to play a critical role at events as venues continue to look at ways to enhance the fan experience, whether for sports, concerts or even dinner. Marcus Samuelsson’s restaurant, Streetbird in Harlem [New York], is the first U.S. restaurant fully equipped with Qkr!,” said Matt Barr, group head of North America emerging payments at MasterCard, Purchase, NY.

“With the PGA Tour, we successfully implemented contactless payments for the first time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in January, and have continued to bring new technology to Tour events throughout 2015,” he said. “This is only the beginning. Fans will continue to see contactless acceptance as well as Qkr! with MasterPass at a number of tournaments on the PGA Tour calendar next year.”

Augmenting event-going experiences
Attendees at The Barclays will be able to order and pay for concessions and merchandise on-site directly from their iOS or Android mobile devices. MasterCard is seeking to raise awareness and usage of its MasterPass application, which enables users to make payments online or in-app from any device and location.

The financial services brand realizes that golf fans do not want to risk seeing their favorite player because they were stuck in line, waiting to purchase a snack or beverage. The rollout of the contactless terminals, equipped to accept Qkr! with MasterPass, will streamline the payment process for merchants as well as customers.

It will also likely result in an uptick of sales, as consumers will feel more at ease visiting a concession stand if they know the experience of buying something will not take longer than a few moments. The easy, in-app checkout may also fuel impulse purchases among fans.

At the PGA Tour golf tournament, which ran from March 19 to 22, attendees were also able to pay for purchases using Qkr! as well as Apple Pay, as almost all of terminals were EMV enabled (see story).

“Qkr! with MasterPass enables consumers to order and pay for goods safely and securely on their mobile device so that they never have to miss a moment of action while waiting in line,” Mr. Barr said. “Because this technology cuts down on time spent standing in line for concessions and waiting at the point of sale, consumers who use Qkr! with MasterPass are able to enjoy an enhanced ordering experience and consequently an overall richer experience at The Barclays.”

The Barclays kicks off the four FedExCup Playoff tournaments.

MasterCard’s payment goals
If MasterCard continues introducing Qkr! with MasterPass to a slew of event venues, it could cement itself as the financial services marketer to beat in the mobile payments space.

In June, MasterCard launched tokenization for merchants using its Digital Enablement Services to help these businesses assure their customers of the safety of their mobile programs, as security has moved to the forefront of concerns regarding smartphone shopping (see story).

Offering consumers at The Barclays an incentive to use the app and test out the platform is an ideal way of ensuring that adoption rates hover even higher. While some golf fans will undoubtedly appreciate the new ways of paying, others may face initial hesitation, although the hefty promised discount may soon change their minds.

Guests must use their MasterCard card to receive the 10 percent discount at the event.

“We do hope that offering a 10 percent discount for fans that use their MasterCard will incent them to take advantage of new ways to pay at The Barclays and help drive adoption of these technologies,” Mr. Barr said. “Additionally, we offer a variety of exclusive benefits related to golf—through our Priceless Golf and Priceless Cities programs—with this discount being just one of the perks our cardholders get for using their MasterCard.”

Final Take
Alex Samuely, editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York