Visa Canada is giving TIFF-goers a glimpse of the future of retail. The long-time Toronto International Film Festival sponsor has set up a “connected car” at Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto. The proof of concept integrates online payment service Visa Checkout into the car dashboard, allowing drivers to pay for things like fuel or food orders without having to leave their vehicles.
“We talk about wearables and paying with your phone. Paying on your car is another way that we foresee people will be able to pay in the future,” said Brenda Woods, head of marketing at Visa Canada.
Visa brand ambassadors on site are talking to passersby about the connected car and Visa Checkout. The payment service, which launched in Canada last year, lets shoppers use any Visa debit or credit card to make online purchases from a PC, mobile device or within a mobile app. Once enrolled, shoppers just have to provide their username and password to complete the payment process.
At TIFF, Visa also has an online shopping demonstration to show how Visa Checkout works. Festival-goers who step in are surrounded by eight-foot screens and prompted to choose between a cupcake or a pair of cowboy boots. Depending on their choice, they’re transported to a Parisian-style bakery or an old-style country western shop. Consumers navigate their way through the stores and select purchases through the touch screens.
“We’re showing people how easy it is to order something online using Visa Checkout because you don’t have to put in all your shipping and payment information,” said Woods. “And if people go around the corner, they can actually sign up for Visa Checkout.”
In the first four days of the festival, Visa had 4,500 interactions with people, including celebrities Kate Mara from House of Cards and Patrick Adams from Suits.
