WillCall will let you pay for drinks at live gigs simply by saying your name

WillCall, the mobile app that makes it easy to find tickets to live shows in NYC and San Francisco at the last minute, has been developing an arsenal of tools aimed at helping venues speed up interactions with customers. Launching today, BarTab is being rolled out as part of WillCall’s venue-centric app, and is only available to those included in the pilot program.

So, while you can purchase tickets for a live show directly through the consumer app as before, you will also be able to arrive at the venue and buy drinks using your WillCall credentials – a proximity-based feature based on Bluetooth LE means that an account can only be charged when the user is near the bar. The bartender will see your photo on their screen too, so all you really need to do is say your name.

You will then receive a push notification after each round is charged at the bar, and a receipt with the total at the end of the night. It’s only available in a dozen venues in New York and San Francisco for the pilot period though.

WillCall says that up to 70% of a venue’s revenue is garnered from the bar, so this could be a lucrative move from the startup.

➤ WillCall