February 25, 2000
ATMs to Dispense Event Tickets
By REUTERS
COSTA MESA, Calif., -- Coming soon to an automated teller machine
(ATM) at a bank near you - not only cash and account balances, but
tickets to the latest shows.
Tickets.com Inc. which sells event information and tickets online,
said Thursday it will join with ATM Tix Inc. to launch just such a
service in Las Vegas this month.
The pilot plan to turn ATMs into virtual box office windows
allowing consumers to collect Tickets.com tickets at any time in
America's gambling capital could later be extended elsewhere, the
company said.
"The ATM Tix partnership allows us to create another convenient and
accessible ticket distribution point for consumers -- their bank
ATM machines," said Thomas Gimple, co-chairman and chief executive
officer of Tickets.com.
"Consumers using these machines will no longer have to be dependent
on the box-office or retail outlet's operating hours to retrieve
tickets."
Gimple noted that ATM Tix technology, combined with a bank's own
ATM machines "becomes a highly secure distribution point, open 24
hours a day."
"Bank ATM machines (sic) are a user-friendly and familiar form of
technology to consumers," said Jerry Frazee, president and chief
executive officer of ATM Tix. "It makes perfect sense to combine
electronic ticket ordering with electronic ticket delivery --
nothing could be more convenient.
"Consumers will actually be able to hold the ticket in their hand,
as opposed to just a redeemable voucher, which has often been the
case in the past."
To order tickets, customers log on to www.tickets.com, where they
select what they want. After purchase, the tickets can be picked up
at select bank ATM locations, with the customer's identity verified
through the credit card number. The purchaser also has the option
of having tickets mailed or picking them up at the box office on
the day of the show.
Initially, the service is for events at the Thomas & Mack Center,
Sam Boyd Stadium, Cox Pavilion and other venues for which
Tickets.com distributes tickets in Las Vegas.
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