Virtual reality shopping glasses and payment-enabled golf gloves will tee off alongside the professionals at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida later this month, as MasterCard brings the future of payments to the PGA Tour.
For cardholders on the course, MasterCard has teamed up with Callaway Golf Company to show how traditional golf gear - like a golf glove - could be used to make payments. Golfers wearing the hi-tech gloves would be able to quench their thirst after a hot day on the fairway by simply tapping the point-of-sale at the beverage cart, leaving their wallets in the clubhouse.
The card scheme is also invting the public to immerse themselves in a virtual reality tour of the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass’s Stadium Course in partnership with Graham McDowell. Taking the concept a step further, MasterCard has also collaborated with Wearality, an Orlando-based start-up that designs virtual reality glasses and wearables, to allow consumers to identify an item of Graeme McDowell’s equipment and G-Mac apparel within the experience - such as a golf shirt - and buy it without leaving the virtual world.
In addition to previewing what’s next for commerce, MasterCard is also expanding the presence of Qkr! with MasterPass at API to allow fans to order and pay for concessions and merchandise at the event directly from their Android or iOS device.