Visa Brings State-of-the-Art Acceptance Contactless Readers; Patrons Avoid Fumbling for Cash, Pay

San Francisco–JAN. 25, 2007-Visa, a proud sponsor of Broadway since 1999, is making it easier for Manhattan theatregoers to speed through concession lines and get back to their seats before the start of the next act. Sandbar Concessions, the official concessionaire for The Nederlander Organization, serving the Brooks Atkinson, Gershwin, Lunt-Fontanne, Marquis, Minskoff, Nederlander, Neil Simon and Richard Rodgers Theatres, is the first in-theatre refreshment service company to accept Visa credit, debit and contactless payments.

At the Minskoff Theatre, home of Disney’s The Lion King, Sandbar Concessions has introduced “The Lobby Bar” on the main floor of the theatre overlooking the panoramic view of Times Square. To maximize the pre-theatre and intermission experience for patrons, the bar staff is being equipped with wireless terminals that can accept both traditional magnetic stripe and contactless transactions. Patrons will be admitted to The Lobby Bar area 45 minutes prior to the start of the show. This program will be introduced at other Nederlander theatres later this year.

“Contactless payments is another important step in our commitment to improving customer services in our Broadway theatres,” says Jim Boese, Vice President, The Nederlander Organization. “A broader selection of refreshments, faster concession lines and a convenient coat check are essential ingredients in providing the best possible entertainment experience for our patrons. Visa’s technology is enabling us to focus more attention on serving our customers during short intermissions. The Nederlanders are proud to be collaborating with Visa on this new customer service initiative.”

Helping to make lines even faster, Visa cardholders will not be required to sign receipts for purchases of less than $25. Recent Visa research shows more and more consumers want to use a payment card for purchases under $25 for convenience (73 percent), efficiency (44 percent) and speed (39 percent).

The Electronic Payment Advantage

Electronic payments are also beneficial for theatre owners and operators because they increase throughput and spending, efficiency of collections, inventory management and reporting processes associated with cash handling. That’s vital for Broadway theatres, which have limited time to sell concessions, typically only before the show and during short intermissions.

“This is another example of how Visa acceptance and innovation gives consumers more places and ways to use their Visa cards,” said Brian Triplett, Senior Vice President, Visa USA. “We are excited to partner with the Nederlander theatres to bring the next generation of speed and convenience to everyone involved in the theatre experience.”

ExaDigm, a provider of wireless, wired and modular point-of-sale (POS) terminal solutions, and PaymenTech, a merchant acquirer and payment processor, provided support for the implementation at Broadway theatres. ExaDigm’s mobile payment terminals have been installed throughout the theatres and support the acceptance of Visa Contactless and traditional magnetic stripe transactions.

About Visa Contactless

Visa Contactless technology has been growing in popularity. To date, there are approximately 7 million cards issued worldwide and more than 30,000 accepting merchant locations in the United States. It is particularly useful in places where speed is important to customers and where cash has been the traditional means of payment. Besides theatres, the technology is already in use at convenience stores, sporting venues, gas stations and fast food restaurants nationwide.

Visa’s Commitment to Broadway

In related theatre news, Visa USA recently renewed its relationships with Tony Awards Productions, the League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc. and The American Theatre Wing. Visa is the only card that allows consumers to experience the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards and is the preferred card of Live Broadway. Visa’s support for the Broadway industry goes beyond the Great White Way through the sponsorship of a $25,000 grant to the Regional Theatre Tony Award, helping bring the magic of live theatre to communities across the country.

About Sandbar Concessions

Sandbar Concessions is one of the leading in-theatre refreshment services companies on Broadway providing concession management and patron services for Nederlander owned/operated theatres in New York. For information on pre-theatre, intermission or post-curtain private events, call Michael McKenna at 212.354.4624.

About Visa

Visa USA is a leading payment brand and the nation’s largest payment system, enabling banks to provide their consumers and business customers with a wide variety of payment alternatives tailored to meet their evolving needs. Visa USA is committed to increasing the choice, convenience, acceptance, and security of Visa payments for all stakeholders in the payment system – Members, cardholders and merchants. Through its 13,420 member financial institutions, more than 488 million Visa-branded cards have been issued to cardholders in the United States. Last year, U.S.-based financial institutions relied on Visa’s processing system, VisaNet, to facilitate $1.3 trillion in transactions with unparalleled reliability. Visa offers a trusted, reliable and convenient way to access and mobilize financial resources – anytime, anywhere, anyway.