Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Fandango question

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-05-2006, 07:56 PM:

When I bought a ticket on Fandango recently (the only time that I have ever used the service), I was given a page with a barcode to print at home and use at the theatre as my "ticket." I was also informed of the option to go to the theatre and retrieve an actual ticket at the boxoffice (or, more likely, automated kiosk) using my credit card.

What would prevent someone from using both the printout and the boxoffice ticket to obtain two admissions for the price of one? Or, for that matter, printing out multiple copies of the "ticket" page? No one at the theatre (to my knowledge) actually scanned anything, so any unique serial number that might be encoded in the barcode wouldn't have been effective at preventing re-use of the same barcode.

Posted by Jarryd Beard (Member # 2543) on 11-05-2006, 08:37 PM:

It seems as if the doorperson should be scanning the barcode. That way, as you said, barcode could only be used once. But then, what happens if you need to leave and get back in. Is the printout ripped in half? Maybe they really only pay attention when there is risk of a sellout. I probably opt for the exchange for a real ticket to absolutely prove I had a ticket.

Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 11-05-2006, 09:12 PM:

We treat the printout as a voucher, for a ticket. When you purchase it through Fandango, the service automatically purchases the ticket, but it remains reserved in our system. That is untill you bring the printout in, when we enter the redeem code into our computer, it checks for the reserved ticket, and prints it out on normal ticket stock, to be ripped at the door. If you try to redeem it twice, it'll be rejected because it's already been redeemed. You can use the credit card you reserved it with also, like some places can track your transaction by credit card number, when you've lost your receipt. It all just cross references the same reservation. We don't scan the barcode, but manually enter the numerical code.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 11-05-2006, 10:22 PM:

Charles, Scott is talking about the Print Your Tickets option used at only a very small number of theatres.

In most cases, the patron can print out a confirmation page which can be used to pick up tickets in leu of a credit card. However, theatres with the Print Your Tickets At Home service offer the guest the ability to print out a ticket at home and present it directly to the door person.

To answer the question, the door person should have scanned the page, which would have taken the reserved tickets out of the system.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 11-06-2006, 12:46 AM:

This sounds a bit like the way the RTS system worked, when I was using it.

When you buy a ticket with your credit card, it actually sells the ticket through your POS system, and your credit card is charged. You get a barcoded sheet to take to the boxoffice. On your arrival, that piece of paper, OR your credit card will cause the ticket, which has already been purchased, to print. Technically, the system, and the theatre could care less whether you show up or not. You bought the ticket, your seat is assured. Whether you show up or not is up to you.

The barcode sheet is only a receipt for a delayed ticket printout. When the customer presents that sheet, or their credit card, the POS system prints out the ticket that has already been paid for. It then cancels the barcode and/or credit card reference. It won't print out that ticket twice, anymore than it would if the customer had bought it at the theatre.

Here in Seattle, the same system is used to purchase online tickets for the Mariners. You take your barcoded sheet to the entrance gate, they scan it and you walk right in. If you're stupid enough to copy your sheet and give it to someone who gets there before you... you're out of luck!

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 11-06-2006, 07:38 AM:

The barcode would be the same on the print at home ticket and the ticket you would retrieve at the kiosk (or they would reference each other in the database). Once it was scanned in by the usher it shows that you came in the door already. If an issue came up where you barcode was already scanned - they would have to get a manager to look into it. More than likely this would not happen and it would be pretty easy to stop anyone trying this. The basic thing to remember is that a barcode makes the 'product' unique. Obviously if you purchased your ticket at home with your credit card they would simply ask for ID in the verification process.

Posted by Charles Greenlee (Member # 3856) on 11-06-2006, 12:53 PM:

Right Jack, what I mean, just better said. [Smile]

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 11-07-2006, 01:02 PM:

The way it worked with Century was that the customer would present the door person with the Print @ Home confirmation, be it a number, barcode or credit card. The door person would then redeem this and a regular ticket would print out.

In my head, I always thought of the whole process as a fancy gift certificate you bought yourself over the internet.

quote: Scott Norwood
No one at the theatre (to my knowledge) actually scanned anything

What theatre was this at Scott?