The musical comedy, Young Frankenstein – which is currently playing in the West End at the Garrick Theatre – is now offering tickets for sale via mobile billing.
Using the mobile network operators’ marketing channels, consumers will be driven to a bespoke landing page for the show on their phones, built by Fonix, which will enable customers to purchase up to two theatre tickets effortlessly from their mobile phone – and charging it to their mobile bill.
The service uses Fonix’s Carrier Billing product to seamlessly charge the Young Frankenstein tickets straight to the consumer’s mobile phone bill, without the need to enter credit card details.
Anthony Baladi, the Commercial Director of Fonix, explains: “Mobile really is the primary consumer touch-point for brands and organisations. As a result, consumers now expect brands to offer a mobile experience which is as frictionless as possible.This is a dynamic solution that Young Frankenstein clearly understands and we are excited to be partnering with them, to enable consumers to purchase theatre tickets in a totally quick and slick way.”
Paul Hicks, Ticketing and Revenue Consultant on Young Frankenstein, adds: “User experience is everything, which is why carrier billing was such a natural choice for Young Frankenstein as it enables customers to purchase tickets with just a couple of clicks.”
The move marks one of the first mainstream uses for carrier billing – where the cost of something is added to a phone bill. Although a well established payment mechanism dating back to the 1980s and the world of premium rate phone lines, it has come on in leaps and bounds as mobile and mobile payments have become more prevalent.
The introduction of the second European Payment Services Directive (PSD2) at the start of this year has meant that carrier billing can now be used to pay for any digital and quasi-physical goods such as tickets and car parking.
Fonix has been quick to leap on ticketing with its carrier billing solutions, announcing the UK’s first carrier billing ticketing deal with the Cowes Floating Bridge ferry earlier this year.
