Mastercard’s digital payment service, Masterpass, is hosting a promotion called the #ThankTheFans House where Masterpass users can buy discounted vinyl records and take advantage of offers that the company will live Tweet during the Grammys broadcast.

The actual #ThankTheFans House will be a pop-up location established at Gibson Brands Sunset in Los Angeles (which formerly hosted cultural touchstone Tower Records) from Thursday, February 9 through Saturday, February 11. The campaign is being touted as a celebration of vinyl’s record-breaking sales year, with the payments platform looking to “bring people together to experience what they love most about music.”

“When you look at music events, what’s bigger or more celebrated than the GRAMMY awards?” said Cheryl Guerin, executive vice president of products and marketing, North America at Mastercard. “We’ve been fortunate to partner with The Recording Academy as sponsor of the GRAMMY Awards for 9 years now and thought it the perfect venue to introduce #ThankTheFans.”

“Consumers are shifting their spend away from things and to experiences, and those retailers that can deliver both an experiential in-store environment as well as an engaging digital environment are thriving,” she said. “At the same time, digital payment capabilities are making the point of sale experience seamless and secure.

“The Masterpass #ThankTheFans House brings this to life by providing an environment where visitors can explore their passion for music and have access to purchase rare and unique vinyl. Vinyl has seen a signficant resurgence over the past few years and it was the perfect way to showcase how a ‘new school’ technology like Masterpass can now provide consumers access into the ‘old school’ pursuit of collecting vinyl.”

#ThankTheFans
From 12 to 5 p.m. PT each day, visitors can test their hand behind the turntables, try out the shop’s Gibson Guitars, step into a recording booth or experience a Vinyl Me, Please curated listening station with a friend.

Masterpass users will have the opportunity to purchase rare vinyl for just $10 and can enter themselves for the chance at a “Priceless Surprise.” All proceeds from the vinyl record sales will be donated to MusiCares, a charity organization affiliated with the Grammys that provides assistance for struggling musicians.

Mastercard holders will also have exclusive access to intimate live performances at the location, including Best New Artist Grammy nominee Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals performing a set co-sponsored by Billboard.

The campaign will also continue during the night of the Grammy Awards ceremony.

“Every time an award is presented during the Grammy Awards show, consumers can Masterpass $1 and receive special offers such as movie tickets, designer fashions or even a trip to next year’s Grammys,” Ms. Guerin said. “And when an artist thanks their fans during an acceptance speech, Masterpass will unlock even more special items.”

Jockeying in a crowded space
While the mobile payments space is relatively nascent in its development, the relevant actors are already taking up arms over the hotly contested space, unsurprising considering the results of a recent report from Forrester that claimed mobile payments volume in the US is expected to total $112 billion in 2016 and grow at 20 percent compound annual growth rate until it reaches $282 billion by 2021 (see story).

Masterpass itself is expanding its global coverage, rolling out contactless mobile payments and introducing a QR-code based payment option starting in Pakistan, with hopes of penetration across the Middle East (see story).

“You have a highly engaged audience during the Grammys that is actively seeking an opportunity to participate in the excitement of the evening,” Ms. Guerin said. “By leveraging this we are able to not only showcase the simplicity Masterpass provides users for everyday purchases, but also highlight the experiential access it can open doors to — like attending the Grammy Awards themselves.”