With any Apple rollout, there are always many talked about new features. But one of the most talked about aspects of the new iOS 8 release, with the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, is the introduction of Apple Pay.
Apple Pay simply is a system where, using your Apple device, you can utilize paperless transaction without even opening your wallet. Apple combines enhanced security features, such as touch ID or a passcode, to authorize all payments in the hopes that someday your iPhone 6 is not only your phone, but also your wallet; and your one-stop shopping device.
While Apple Pay is not mainstream yet, MLB Advanced Media, the digital media company of Major League Baseball, announced on Monday that MasterCard is bringing contactless acceptance to ballpark food and beverage concessions, enabling fans to make payments using a variety of Apple devices and services, including the newly introduced Apple Pay.
This, of course, comes on the day of the first game of the 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals. These two ballparks (Kaufmann Stadium and AT&T Park) will be the first professional sports facilities to accept Apple Pay when the service makes it debut tomorrow for Game 1.
“The ballpark experience lends itself well to simple, secure payments so fans get through concessions and back to the game quickly,” said Ed McLaughlin, Chief Emerging Payments Officer of MasterCard. “We’re thrilled to partner with MLBAM to bring contactless acceptance to the 2014 World Series. Through our longstanding relationship with MLB and MLBAM we are constantly looking for opportunities to create enhanced fan experiences both in-stadium and online, whether that’s through advanced payment capabilities or delivering surprises to fans.”
Apple Pay became available yesterday for U.S. consumers via the iOS 8.1 update for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus; and can be used at all contactless acceptance locations. The acceptance of easy-to-use contactless payments is fully integrated into each ballpark’s respective concession technology by MLBAM and NCR Corporation.
Apple Pay works for MasterCard credit and debit cardholders through MasterCard’s Digital Enablement Service (MDES). In building a secure payment experience, Apple Pay leverages industry-standard cryptography to ensure transactions can take full advantage of the most secure payments technology in the world. In order to further protect consumers, Apple Pay incorporates additional security features such as Touch ID or a passcode to authorize every payment and tokenization via MDES.
In addition to contactless acceptance at the two World Series ballparks, MLBAM and Tickets.com this year will deliver support for Apple Pay when single-game tickets for the 2015 Major League Baseball season go on-sale in November. Fans will be able to utilize Apple Pay when purchasing tickets in MLB.com or At the Ballpark app, which is the app developed by MLBAM that allows users to conduct concession purchases and seating upgrades all while within a ballpark. At the Ballpark also leverage’s Apple’s iBeacon technology.