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Paciolan brings Google Pay’s contactless tickets to college sports

Paciolan, a ticketing, marketing and fundraising solution provider for US college athletics, has added Google Pay’s ‘Tap and Go’ capabilities to its 2019 entry process for American football games.

The first several schools to offer contactless ticketing with Google Pay will include Baylor, Georgia Tech, Michigan State and Purdue.

“We want to make event ticketing easier for everyone,” said Prakash Hariramani, director, Google Pay. “With Google Pay, fans will now be able to enter the stadium with just a simple tap of their phone.”

The NFC technology allows fans to use contactless ticketing to enter stadiums by tapping their mobile phones. The technology also reduces fraud at the gate and gives colleges increased visibility into who is attending their games.

Jeff Keisler, Georgia Tech’s associate athletic director, said: “Georgia Tech is proud to offer our students the convenience and speed of tap-and-go entry at Bobby Dodd Stadium. We look forward to working with Paciolan to use the technology to better understand who is in our seats and deliver a more personalised experience.”

To use contactless tickets, Android users will add their tickets to their Google Pay app. Upon arrival at the stadium, they can access the tickets by tapping on a time-based notification or opening the Google Pay app. They will then simply hold their phones near a reader and enter the game.

Contactless ticketing works with venues’ handheld scanners and self-serve pedestals. Transferring or gifting tickets to friends and family can be done through the schools’ official athletics websites.

Keith White, chief technology officer at Paciolan, said: “Contactless ticketing is a huge win for both fans and venues. It removes friction, fights fraud and opens endless doors around data capability.

“We are committed to keeping our clients at the forefront of the mobile fan experience. Tap-and-go functionality is what fans want right now, and we are happy to enable our clients to deliver it.”