So long, paper tickets. Ticketmaster will soon let you check into events with a quick tap and go

So long paper tickets ...
 By 
Nicole Gallucci
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Getting into live events could soon be a whole lot easier, thanks to Ticketmaster Presence — an innovative technology that replaces traditional paper tickets with digital passes.

Presence works by transferring data from smartphones directly to receivers in event venues. The receivers then scan the data to confirm your identity with "tap and go" entry, turning your smartphone into an efficient mobile check-in device.

Ticketmaster Presence is built on proximity-based digital technology like NFC and RFID, and according to a report on VentureBeat, the ticket company is teaming up with Lisnr — an ultrasonic audio technology that sends data over inaudible waves called Smart Tones — to incorporate sound technology in select cases.

A Ticketmaster spokesperson told Mashable the company hopes eliminating paper tickets and utilizing this technology will both improve and personalize live event experiences for users. As outlined in an early concept video obtained by VentureBeat, the technology also has the potential to eliminate fraud, bots, scalpers, and, by speeding up the process, discourage long lines.

Justin Burleigh, EVP of product for Ticketmaster North America, said in a statement: With Presence's digital technology, "venues and content owners can now connect directly to someone attending an event to foster personalized fan engagement, simplify the ticket management experience, protect against fraud, and enhance security.” How Ticketmaster plans to "connect directly" to someone using the tech is unclear, but a Lisnr spokesperson did note that those using the program wouldn't be tracked as they move about the venue (as reported earlier by VentureBeat).

As you approach the venue, according to the video, just take out your phone and it will broadcast your personal ticketing data, ensuring the lengthy process that normally occurs when attendants have to check paper tickets is now just a distant nightmare of the inconvenient past.

A Ticketmaster spokesperson told Mashable that though Lisnr is not yet incorporated, Presence is currently in production at 32 venues across North America. It will continue to roll out over the next few years, so you could be whizzing into venues like a pro before you know it.

UPDATE: July 5, 2017, 4:01 p.m. UTC

A previous version of this story said Presence has the ability to track users' location, according to the VentureBeat report. A spokesperson from Lisnr clarified to Mashable that Presence does not have the ability to track user's location.

UPDATE: July 5, 2017, 7:22 p.m. UTC

Updated to include comments from Ticketmaster.

Topics Innovations

Mashable Image
Nicole Gallucci

Nicole is a Senior Editor at Mashable. She primarily covers entertainment and digital culture trends, and in her free time she can be found watching TV, sending voice notes, or going viral on Twitter for admiring knitwear. You can follow her on Twitter @nicolemichele5.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Ticketmaster is selling $1,000 Harry Styles tickets. Fans are not having it.
Harry Styles performing on stage

Win tickets to see 'The AI Doc' early at Mashable's advanced screenings
Composite of images from "The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist."


Verizon outage map: How to check your area
Hands hold a mobile phone

'Pokémon Pokopia': How to make paper
Bulbasaur greeting Ditto in Pokopia

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!