Exclusive Club Seat ticket holders at Seattle Seahawks NFL football games can now spend less time in the concession line and more time catching the action by paying for items with their Seattle Seahawks PowerPayª token, featuring radio frequency identification (RFID) technology from Texas Instruments RFid Systems (TI-RFidª). Introduced during the 2003–2004 preseason, 33 percent of the Club season ticket holders have opted into the PowerPay program, generating an increase in transaction frequency and revenue for the Seahawks. Developed by SMART System Technologies Inc. of New York, NY, the PowerPay system allows Seattle Seahawks fans to pay for concession items on the Club level by simply waving a Texas Instruments RF-enabled key fob over a PowerPay reader at a point of sale terminal. Using the PowerPay Secure Marketing Architecture for Retail Transactions (SMART) network, payment information is transmitted wirelessly and securely and the transaction is processed in seconds. PowerPay users do not have to worry about carrying cash to the game for concessions and can have their purchases applied to the credit card or check card of their choice. The Seahawks are supporting the program by providing opportunities for rewards and chances to win valuable prizes for PowerPay users, including autographed Seahawks merchandise. PowerPay's SMART network allows merchants to create target groups of consumers and communicate relevant content and offers to individuals based on buying preferences and demographic data, then automatically reconcile those offers at the point of sale.
RF is a widely deployed, mature technology for contact-less consumer payment that benefits the merchant, the device issuer and the consumer. In 1997, Texas Instruments launched its RF technology for wireless payment with the introduction of the ExxonMobil Speedpass,ª which boasts more than 6.5 million active users. In July 2003, TI also announced a new RF-based payment program with American Express, called ExpressPay,ª which has been deployed at more than 250 merchant locations in the Phoenix area.