Cinema chain Vue Entertainment has partnered with customer engagement platform Urban Airship to launch the UKs first Google Pay movie tickets. Movie-goers will be able to pay for tickets using Google Pay both on site and in Vues app, removing the need to queue at the box office.

Using Urban Airships technology, Vue can create and distribute personalised mobile wallet tickets across its websites, app and email marketing channel, dramatically increasing the number of customers that can experience the friction-free mobile wallet experience. The solution takes advantage of work carried out by Google Pay and Urban Airship earlier this year, aimed at streamlining the ticketing experience for travel, hospitality and entertainment brands.

“We are dedicated to offering the ultimate in big screen entertainment to our customers,” said Dan Green, head of digital at Vue Entertainment. “We know that more and more customers are using mobile wallets and we always move quickly to adopt technology that will improve customer experience. Our commitment to launching broad distribution for Google Pay movie tickets is a great example of understanding customer behaviour and reacting quickly to give them what they want. It will also enable us to offer enhanced personalisation which we know customers value.”

Google Pay payments will be available at more than 30 of Vues paperless sites. For tickets bought online, customers can instantly send a mobile ticket via email or download it from a website or app link, all with a single tap. Prior to show time, tickets will automatically display on customers lockscreens and will be readily accessible in mobile wallets. According to Bue, nearly half of its tickets sold via app transactions are already added to mobile wallets, and it is expecting this rate to rise.

“Bringing physical and digital experiences together is more important than ever to streamline both customer interactions and business operations,” said Brett Caine, CEO of Urban Airship. “Through our close work with Google Pay and Vue, were bringing mobile wallet movie tickets to everyones smartphone, eliminating the hassle of standing in queues, searching through emails for confirmations or having to first download another app. Its all about getting guests to the best seats, concessions and the big show more quickly.”