This season, Denver Broncos fans attending the games at Empower Field at Mile High have a new convenient option for alcohol and snack purchases in the Aramark concessions. IDmission teamed with Zippin and Aramark for checkout-free retail experiences featuring facial identification with age and payment verification, allowing fans to grab their items and “zip out” without waiting in line.
Tested in the pre-season and live in three Zippin-powered stores for the Broncos home opener, the convenience will be expanded to more concessions with each additional game. Aramark Sports + Entertainment, the food and beverage partner at 10 NFL venues, announced this innovation on September 7 as part of its lineup of new fan friendly features for the upcoming NFL season. .
Solving the ID Bottleneck
As "grab-and-go" checkout-free technology has been widely adopted among sports venues, checking ID for proof of age has been a persistent problem. Long lines for manual checks discourage fans from purchase and eliminate the convenience of the automated experience. For concession operators, it increases labor cost and training, and creates additional liability associated with under-age sales.
IDmission solved the problem with simple registration to establish age and payment status, then linking it to a customer face. When arriving at the Zippin-powered Drink Mkt, the fan shows their face to the tablet, is recognized in seconds, and the turnstile shows green and lets them in. Once in the store, they simply choose their items and exit without stopping for a manual ID check or to check out.
(Look at the tablet and the light turns green. You’re in! )
For enrollment before the game, a QR code is distributed to ticket holders in advance lets them register their face, ID and credit card from home, so they’re ready to grab that beer and get back to the game. And for those who want to register on-site, they simply scan the code at the store on their own mobile phone and use the Broncos web application to capture their details.
(A QR code starts the enrollment process, with no customer software installation required.)
Driving Customer Experience
ON the opening day limited release, hundreds of fans used the automated access to the Zippin-powered checkout-free stores. Fans who had not pre-registered entered the store with a traditional credit card tap and manual ID check. For upcoming games, more Zippin stores will be facial ID enabled and the registration process expanded. For the 2023 season, the partnership of Aramark, Zippin and IDmission will keep expanding the program to give every Broncos fan the most convenient experience, and the fastest path back to their football seats.