Ticketmaster Put an End To Screenshots With New Digital Ticket Technology (techcrunch.com) 78
Ticketmaster is turning to new technology to help fight ticket fraud. The ticketing giant today unveiled its next-generation digital tickets, "Safetix," which are tied to the ticket holder's mobile device through an encrypted barcode that automatically refreshes every few seconds.
From a report: The tickets will also support NFC technology, allowing fans to enter venues through a "tap and go" experience. The company says ticket holders will later this year be able to add their contactless ticket to Apple Wallet, so they can enter a venue with their iPhone or Apple Watch. This will also involve the use of proximity-based technology which automatically selects the tickets when the phone is held near the ticket reader. Apple and Ticketmaster already tested SafeTix this month during the fintech conference Transact, Ticketmaster says.
I hope it works but.... (Score:3)
Disney (Score:4, Interesting)
Disney rolled out an RFID based hotel and theme park access system a few years ago. So far it seems to be working out pretty well. I haven't seen any reports of major breaches or anything.
It sounds like there are more moving parts to this system, so more there might be more avenues of attack (the Disney system runs on an intranet segregated from the internet)
Re: (Score:1)
Clearly the solution is for Ticketmaster to email me an RFID ticket. That should work great!
Re: (Score:1, Funny)
If Apple's involved, you can be sure it will be well designed and secure. It's hard to remember the last exploit they've been the victim of.
video streaming? (Score:2)
So can I just video stream my tickmaster app screen to everyone?
Re:video streaming? (Score:5, Funny)
The problems start when the animated barcode is more entertaining than whatever you'd paid to see.
Re: (Score:1)
We use this technology at a yearly event that sees ~500k attendees and it has reduced ticket fraud substantially. So much so, it allows us to book bigger acts for the music portion of our show since we are able to guarantee increased accuracy of our visitation numbers. We still offer a print-at-home versions of tickets and the tickets we sell to walk-ups are still paper based. Like credit cards, it reduces one fraud for another (we don't eat the cost on this yet but I've been made aware that chargeback fr
Re: (Score:2)
Yup, everybody's first concern at music concerts is the number of gatecrashers.
Screenshots have been useful (Score:1)
When one buys for many.
Screenshots don't requite explicitly telling TicketMaster who are all the event goers just so that they can automatically be included in their marketing lists.
I _hate_ digital tickets. (Score:5, Insightful)
Especially how ticketsheister implements it.
First, you have to have a damn internet connection, which may or may not work. Then they make you go through about 4 different login screens (which you have to remember your dumb password with). Oh, and better hope you have battery left.
Meanwhile, simple paper doesn't require batteries, logins, or internet connections. What's the obsession with having to put EVERYTHING on your phone? Hasn't anyone ever heard of all the eggs in one basket? I like separating things out and having them be independent of one another.
Re:I _hate_ digital tickets. (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree. Digital tickets are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. All it does is increase long lines because the scans simply don't work well (the screen isn't bright enough; oops I just locked my phone; etc.
What is does do is give the ticket seller and/or venue detailed knowledge of who bought tickets and/or is at the event. IMHO, that is the *only* reason they are pushing this so hard.
And we also now have some events requiring people to put their phones in "lockdown" cases so they can't record the concert, take photos, etc. So you don't want me to bring my phone, but I *have* to bring my phone to get in. WTF?
Re:I _hate_ digital tickets. (Score:5, Insightful)
Digital tickets are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
The real problem is that TicketMaster exists. Still waiting on the solution to that one.
Re: (Score:2)
The solution is to wait a year or two before Ticketmaster is bought out by Google, and buried next to Alphabet, or by Disney, and turned into an animated musical.
Re: (Score:3)
In the last 10 years, I've gone to probably over 250 shows (mostly music gigs and festivals, but other stuff as well), and mostly using pdf tickets because they do solve a very real problem: paper tickets can get lost/damaged/stolen. There've been a few times prior to e-tickets that forgot the ti
Re: (Score:2)
I used smartphone check-in for the first time five months ago in Barcelona airport. All I found was that the number of times you have to show your check-in is multipled by five. As for automatic passport gates, don't even get me started. Luckily only about three or four people chose that path ahead of me.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree. Digital tickets are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.
Of course a problem exists: Reselling tickets without ticketmaster getting a cut.
Everyone who can't see the problem is just looking at it from the wrong perspective.
Re: (Score:2)
What's the obsession with having to put EVERYTHING on your phone?
Nothing to do with the phone. 100% to do with scalping.
Re: (Score:2)
It bothers me that everything has to be online, on phones, etc. I'm old school. I don't want to be online and digitally all the time.
So they can track you (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Sigh, Zucc, Ticketmaster. Clearly another child left behind. We really need to fix the education system in this country.
Re: (Score:3)
Flamebait for pointing out Occam's Razor, business reasons, and that the GP needs to lay off the conspiracy theories. Moderators, ya done fucked up.
TOTP (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Top of the Pops? I don't see the connection. And anyway all the presenters are pedophiles.
RFC 6238 (Score:2)
In case anyone else is confused, TOTP stands for Time-based One-time Password algorithm [wikipedia.org] as defined in RFC 6238.
But wait... (Score:2)
So you can use it to check in, but then lock that phone away. What is so wrong with mailed out tickets? I mean the tech will be broken in a few hours anyway.
Re: (Score:1)
As for why I don't want to bring a phone? I don't have or want a smart phone. I do have a good laser printer though.
Re: But wait... (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
The system isn't really to protect against scaplers, its just to make sure they get their cut of the profit as well.
Scalping (Score:4, Insightful)
The only thing that this would potentially help with is if they use it to prevent scalping, but that's the one thing nobody in the business wants to stop.
Re: (Score:1)
Why stop scalping as Ticketmaster helps the scalpers out and gets double the fees when the tickets are sold on their own reselling site.
Re:Scalping (Score:5, Informative)
Well of course you can still use the constantly changing tickets if you resell them on Ticketmaster's site. But if you try to resell the tickets any other way (or even give them away), you cannot. TL;DR They want to own the entire resale market too.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
I disagree. They only want scalping that they can take their 23% fee from the buyer and 12% fee from the seller.
Re: (Score:2)
False. Ticketmaster wants to stop scalping since they can control the resale market and take a second cut.
Even Slower lines... (Score:4, Insightful)
These stupid digital tickets have already slowed lines down at entrances too much, with everyone fumbling for there phones, and futzing with their damned app. We always take a screen shot, and used that at the entrance - always more reliable and quicker (one doesn't need any data service for a screenshot).
This is just a solution looking for a problem... And mucking things up even more...
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I think they forgot to go find out the main reason people are using screenshots.
Re: (Score:2)
This is just a solution looking for a problem...
False. The problem is clearly defined: Scalpers making money rather than ticketmaster making money.
Wait were you assuming this was for the good of the paying public? How cute!
Wait, they don't check if the ticket was used? (Score:2, Interesting)
What kind of idiot application allows you to just take a picture of a ticket, and re-use it? Don't these morons check that a ticket has been used, and then mark it invalid after it's been scanned?
The entire airline industry figured out e-tickets almost 20 years ago. Instead of just invalidating the ticket, which has been done for hundreds of years, they invent some weird encryption garbage?
Re:Wait, they don't check if the ticket was used? (Score:4, Interesting)
Unscrupulous resellers sell duplicate tickets. This TOTP-like measure is in part about reassuring attendees that their tickets will not have been invalidated by the time they reach the venue.
Go away, you're not 21 (Score:2)
Paper tickets, or else that's just another night I stay home, or go see a much better show at a downtown bar where I pay a $5-$10 cover, and the beers are $5 each instead of $20.
Which leaves what if you are bringing your SO and children to a family-friendly show that does not require a 21st birthday for all attendees?
They are dead to me (Score:2)
No way I'm going to load that on my cell.
Ever.
Ticketmaster are the scalpers! (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
They are also pretty much a monopoly, but no one seems to have noticed.
Of course people have noticed, however monopolies aren't inherently bad until they abuse their power. Or in the case of the USA they aren't inherently bad period... at least in the eyes of the law.
Hopefully can't be worse than AXS (Score:1)
https://arstechnica.com/gaming... [arstechnica.com]
omg, they caught up with Cleveland public trans? (Score:3)
Uhhh, duu. They use an app for electronic tickets. The app displays the date and time the ticket is good for, which is real time. And counting down to termination. You have to display both sides of the ticket. One side with date/time/countdown. Otherwise with a hash.
And yes, physical tickets are used most often.
Seriously, they didn't know about existing technology that is available for combating fraud?
Never buy tickets from Ticketmaster (Score:2)
I've been boycotting them for over a decade. A lot of venues WILL sell you a ticket for a show outside of Ticketmaster, even if they aren't supposed to. If a band I like is only on Ticketmaster I write to them letting them know I won't be supporting them as a band anymore. Harsh? Perhaps. But I'm not paying 20 dollar "convenience" fees for anyone.
Re: (Score:2)
A lot of venues WILL sell you a ticket for a show outside of Ticketmaster, even if they aren't supposed to.
Many of these will sell tickets outside Ticketmaster, but only in person at the box office, not by mail. That's fine if the event is in your home town. Otherwise, be prepared to make two round trips to the venue: one in advance to buy the tickets and one to attend.
More fees (Score:3)
Not me, never (Score:2)
Actual worthwhile use for blockchain (Score:3)
99% of anything blockchain related is crap. But tickets sales and resales might actually be a use case where it would actually add value. Idea being that you want to certify authenticity, you are exchanging among unknown/trusted partners.
Re: (Score:2)
But you're not. The process goes through a trusted central database: Ticketmaster. Blockchain doesn't beat a central database, especially when the development in question is the central database wants to have *more* control.
the truth (Score:2)
this was done all in the name of adding new fees to the price of the tickets.
$3.99 E-ticket fee added to the cost (Score:2)
$3.99 E-ticket fee added to the cost
Here's the solution for particularly lucrative.... (Score:2)
the same idea can be used to provide data privacy (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)