The first mobile ticketing solution using UK mobile payment initiative payforIT has been launched today by interactive mobile specialists Dialogue Communications and AEI Mobile. Mobile ticketing will enable party-goers to purchase tickets to a London nightclub via their mobile phone using payforIT, and to receive the tickets via SMS.

PayforIT is the cross-operator payment initiative that allows consumers to purchase goods and services via their mobile phone up to the value of £10. Dialogue and AEI Mobile will be working together to provide a mobile ticketing solution for Drum & Bass Arena event taking place at Scala Club in London on 15th August and tickets are on sale today for £10.

Dialogue was the first company to take payforIT live in January 2007, when it was used predominantly by mobile content providers to sell content via the mobile internet. Now 18 months later, the payforIT system has been further developed and with the recent increase of the maximum single transaction to £10, it looks sets to become a popular payment mechanism for selling tickets via mobile. 

Guiom Peersman, Dialogue’s UK managing director explains: “We believe this is the first time payforIT will be used to purchase event tickets. People wishing to buy a ticket can text “Scala” to short code 81330 and in return will receive a WAP link to Scala Club’s mobile internet site. From there tickets are available for purchase through the payforIT payment system and the ticket will be delivered directly to the buyer via SMS.

“Dialogue has been involved in the development of payforIT from the very beginning and this is yet another major step for the initiative. The mobile ticketing market has huge potential and is another key market growth area where payforIT can be a real value added solution.”

Mobile ticketing is growing in popularity in the music and entertainment industry in particular. Earlier this year, new research from Juniper Research estimated that over 2.6 billion mobile tickets will be delivered to just over 208 million mobile phone users by 2011. Therefore, new payment mechanisms such as payforIT will be a welcome addition to the market to aid this predicted growth.

"Mobile ticketing is a no-brainer for event organisers, a good proportion of which are already using SMS as the preferred marketing channel for events and functions," says Del Dias, managing director of AEI Mobile. "Promoters can now promote events using outbound SMS messaging, and allow their customers to complete the transaction on their mobile phones.”

PayforIT has a maximum purchase value of £10 so clubbers wishing to purchase more that one ticket for Scala’s Drum & Bass Arena event can still do so via their mobile and pay via credit or debit card.