Timberwolves Launching Paperless Ticket System This Season
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With technology comes the change of things moving from paper to digital systems. That's especially true when it comes to basketball tickets and how they'll be used at Target Center this year.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are moving to a paperless ticket system. Show up at a game with your credit card, driver's license or smart phone, and you will get a seat locator like this.
These seat locators are not tickets, so the whole system is very secure.
"So what you're seeing here is really the code, just like you've seen at airports or movies theaters, as you purchase tickets," Ryan Tanke with the Timberwolves said.
Timberwolves tickets can be purchased online -- that hasn't changed. But fans no longer have to print out emailed tickets and bring that piece of paper to the game.
People at the gate can now scan your phone or your plastic.
"There has been a lot lately around fraudulent tickets, whether it's a sporting event or any other type of event, we've really eliminated the potential for any fraudulent tickets through this process," Tanke said.
The Timberwolves call this new system Flash Seats, and it also allows fans to transfer tickets to other people. Going to the will-call window to pick up tickets is eliminated.
This whole system was successfully used for the 2015 Lynx season.
"We actually rolled this out in less than 30 days for this past Lynx season. The first game you've got people walking up very nervous, and not sure, is my ID or my credit card really going to work, but by the second and the third game it just becomes part of what you do," Tanke said.
The Timberwolves say they are willing to help anyone who is uncomfortable with the new technology.
"We believe that digital tickets are certainly the way of the future and that all sporting venues and events will be, very soon, fully digital," Tanke said.
But these ticket windows will still be here at Target Center, should you get a last-minute urge to see a game.
"We often get asked, what about day-of-game tickets, can I still show up to the box office and purchase tickets for a game, and the answer is yes, so we'll still provide that service for fans who wish to pay in cash," Tanke said.
The new Flash Seats system starts Monday night at the Timberwolves open scrimmage event at Target Center.