MasterCard, Commonwealth Bank and Hoyts: Industry-Leading Innovation Piloted in Australia

Sydney, 24 January 2012: Australia stands out as the first country to pilot QkR™ by MasterCard, a brand new queue-busting mobile payment application developed by MasterCard that lets movie goers at selected La Premiere Hoyts cinemas order food and drink directly from their seats by means of their smart phone.

The brand new QkR by MasterCard in-cinema smart ordering service should be piloted by the Commonwealth Bank at numerous Hoyts cinemas for several weeks from January.

Guests of Hoyts’ luxurious La Premiere cinemas in Sydney who’ve an iPhone or Android handset shall be ready to buy foods and drinks from the relief in their cinema seats through an application downloaded to their phone. Purchases are then delivered on to their seat.

MasterCard Australia’s Head of Market Development and Innovation Matt Barr said the primary pilot of QkR in Australia underlined MasterCard and the Commonwealth Bank’s leadership in innovation.

“We’re delivering what can only be described as generational change in payments technology,” said Mr. Barr.

The QkR pilot is the newest development between MasterCard and the Commonwealth Bank and follows the launch of Commbank Kaching which, as well as facilitating peer-to-peer payments, uses MasterCard PayPass to permit customers to easily tap their phone to pay at check-out.

“We’re involved in smart the way to simplify and improve the buyer experience,” said Mr Barr “QkR has many possible uses, and this pilot is only one great example of leveraging different technologies in a brand new method to create a straightforward and convenient ordering experience.”

Hoyts’ Chief Executive Officer, Delfin Fernandez said, “Hoyts has long embraced new technology to present our guests the final word cinema experience. Digital and 3D advances have revolutionised the on-screen magic and now QkR will eliminate the trouble of getting to go away the cinema auditorium to put another food or drink order.

“For our La Premiere guests, having the ability to purchase a meal, dessert or another round of drinks using QkR without missing a second of the movie is a true luxury!” added Mr Fernandez.

Per Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, Executive General Manager of commercial Products and Development, Commonwealth Bank, the introduction of QkR is an additional demonstration of the way the Bank is continuous to push the bounds of innovation in financial services.

“Here’s another leap forward within the way we’re helping to offer Australians and Australian businesses with the easiest in convenient payment solutions,” said Ms Bayer Rosmarin.

“Our specialize in technology and innovation has firmly positioned us on the forefront of the industry. We can be continuing to explore new developments, including working closely with our partners and business clients, so they can continue to maneuver the banking and payments market forward in Australia and support the evolving needs of our customers.”

From January guests of Hoyts La Premiere cinemas at Westfield Chatswood and The Entertainment Quarter, both in Sydney, would be in a position to download the QkR by MasterCard application to their phone and make purchases either through scan, tap or type – scanning the QR code to make a purchase order; tapping an NFC-capable device against the QR code at the seat or typing within the unique scan code. Each of those options will take the guest through to a menu where they will select items and proceed to buy.

“Australians enthusiastically embrace new technologies – particularly those who make life easier. That’s why this can be a great market to pilot QkR with Hoyts,” said Mr Barr.

“We launched MasterCard Labs in 2010 with the goal of developing, testing and bringing to market new payment options and we’re proud that we will bring cutting edge technology here.”

The way it works

For the Hoyts pilot, transactions are initiated when the patron uses QkR by MasterCard to either scan the QR code at the seat table or entering a distinct QkR label. Consumers with NFC-enabled phones may also tap the label to initiate the experience.The food and beverage menu will launch and menu items can be bought using the digital wallet the cardholder pre-registers with their debit or mastercard details the primary time they use QkR. Once the acquisition is confirmed, the order and the seat location are sent to Hoyts staff and the order is then dropped at the moviegoer’s seat without ever having to move near a checkout line.

Creating a purchase using QkR comes with the identical high level of security as payments via all other MasterCard platforms. No cardholder data is stored at the phone, and QkR may be configured to request the number at time of purchase.

About MasterCard Worldwide

MasterCard (NYSE: MA) is a world payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in additional than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – corresponding to shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances – easier, safer and more efficient for everybody. Learn more at mastercard.com or follow us on Twitter @mastercardnews or join the conversation at the Heart of Commerce Blog.

Concerning the Hoyts Corporation

Hoyts has delighted Australian cinema-goers for greater than 100 years and is considered one of Australia’s most recognisable entertainment brands. Hoyts Exhibition, the cinema division of The Hoyts Corporation, manages 425 screens across 40 cinema complexes in Australia and one more 10 complexes in New Zealand. Hoyts La Premiere offers an unsurpassed cinema experience, with the final word in comfort, service and elegance. Guests enjoy an excellent-screen experience from luxurious, custom-made sofa-style seats. La Premiere offers a gourmet menu and reserve wine list, with in-cinema waiter service inside the movie.

About Commonwealth Bank

Commonwealth Bank is Australia’s leading provider of integrated financial services including retail banking, premium banking, business banking, institutional banking, funds management, superannuation, insurance, investment and sharebroking services and products. The crowd is likely one of the largest listed companies at the Australian Stock Exchange and is included within the Morgan Stanley Capital Global Index. Commonwealth Bank is Money Magazine’s 2011 Bank of the Year and due to the hot migration of shoppers to a brand new core-banking platform, the Bank is essentially the mostsome of the most technologically advanced in Australia.