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Cinema tickets via cellphone

February 22nd, 2006 | by ka edong |

How do you sell cinema tickets via a cellphone?

Smart found a way. They call it Ticketxt – Mobile Ticketing System.

I wrote about Ticketxt last month, but saw the mechanics of the system and the barcode scanner only a few days ago.

Mechanics on purchasing mobile tickets:

1.) To download SM Movie mobile Tickets, subscriber must first register by sending TIX NOKIA [Name/Age] to 286 for subscribers using Nokia-branded handsets, or TIX OTHERS [name/age] to 286 for subscribers using all other handset brands.

For Example: TIX NOKIA MICA ABAD/25
TIX OTHERS MICA ABAD/25

2.) Once registered, subscriber may now download SM Moie Mobile Tickets by sending BUY [cinema] [seating] [quantity] to 286.

For Example: BUY MEGAMALL5 PREMIERE 3

This message will be sent to the subscriber:

Request received, amount due P360.00. Amount will be deducted from your SMART Money Account. Upon confirmation of payment, barcode ticket will be sent to you. To use ticket, hold phone’s screen against the BARCODE READER located at the SM Cinema lobby area. Send TIX HELP to 286 for more info. (P2.50/msg)

In simple terms, this is how it works:

a.) buy a ticket via SMS
b.) pay using Smart Money
c.) subscriber will be sent an image (a 2D barcode)
d.) subscriber presents the image to a machine at the cinema lobby
e.) the machine then issues the cinema ticket

Let’s talk more about 2D barcode. The 2D barcode is an image, like many black and white pixels in a square.

The barcode scanner is an image capture machine that reads the 2D barcode. The barcode can be small, big and even partially erased and the reader will still be able to read the barcode.

Although the technology isn’t simple (I can think of other ways to issue tickets via SMS + m-commerce), pushing the 2D barcode technology opens doors for other applications.

I’ve seen Japanese documentaries that made use of these barcodes in cellphones for issuing airline tickets, or issuing gate passes to unlock doors, or for buying products at convenience stores. These are things that can be done in the Philippines. Maybe this is another technology solution for “cellphone mo, MRT ticket na!”

Seeing it here in the Philippines makes me smile. What will they think of next? It better be good, or else it just becomes a showcase of technology that nobody made use of.

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ka edong
2d doo

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