Cinépolis Uses VeriFone VX 610 To Introduce "Restaurant At Your Seat"

With more than 52% of the market share in box office sales in Mexico, Cinépolis is constantly looking for ways to integrate the latest technology and improve sales and customer satisfaction in its theatres. Already a proponent of wireless payment technology in 2001, Cinépolis wanted to outfit its Cinépolis VIP brand of luxury theatres with handheld devices that could provide a pay-at-the-seat payment option to patrons. Because Cinépolis VIP had previously attempted to use other handheld payment devices that operated on radio frequencies, coverage within the theatres was spotty and unreliable. With "Restaurant at Your Seat," Cinépolis VIP hoped to devise a system that would allow waiters to take drink and food orders from customers at their seats and offer successful wireless transmission of those orders to various stations within the theatre's food service area.

In 2002, Cinépolis was already utilizing the VeriFone SC 5000 across all of its brands, and was impressed with VeriFone's reliability and customer service track record. So when Cinépolis IT Operations Manager, Carlos Arzate, needed a WiFi-capable device for the Cinépolis VIP cinemas, he approached VeriFone about the latest products, including the VX 610, which the company installed later that year. Now with more than 180 terminals in use within 25 Cinépolis VIP theatre locations, the VX 610 allows Cinépolis VIP patrons to pay with credit or debit cards as well as to accrue and redeem points with a loyalty program smart card (Club Cinépolis). The VX 610 offers portability and flexibility with more opportunities for customer sales. The high-speed IP communications make transaction times as fast as 2-3 seconds, which means customers spend less time waiting to make orders and for their payment receipts.