The Rays today introduced a new flex pass that will "replace paper tickets" and "can also be used at concession stands," according to Stephen Nohlgren of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The flex pass also will offer up to 50% discounts "on single game prices." A radio frequency chip "imbedded in the card will allow the Rays to track individual spending patterns and tailor promotions fan by fan." Season-ticket holders "could have carried a similar card called a 'Burst Pass' last year." But the flex pass "extends this system to single-game ticket buyers as the Rays cast around for ways to boost attendance, last in baseball last year." Rays Senior VP/Development & Business Affairs Michael Kalt said, "We are experimenting with how to get more people into the ballpark. We are creating a platform that will allow us to do more interesting and creative things, to increase the engagement of the fan base and to start understanding more what they are doing when they get to the game." Nohlgren notes the flex pass will "come in three-game, six-game and nine-game packages, with discounts deepening as the number of games rise." The Rays also are "developing a cellphone application that would allow scanners to read a bar code." Flex pass holders with the app "would not need the card itself to enter the stadium." But the app "may not be ready for the beginning of the season" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 12/3).
