Groupon Ticket Holders Can Now Bypass Will Call

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Groupon has been cutting paper vouchers from its platform, and now it will take out ticket will call, too. The daily deals leader released a new feature today call G-Pass, allowing buyers of events offers to avoid exchanging their paper Groupon vouchers for physical tickets at the box office.

G-Pass lets them get directly in line after arriving at a theater or stadium, providing mobile e-ticket-style voucher that works via partner Ticketmaster's system. Chicago-based Groupon beta tested G-Pass in October 2011 at the Target Center in Minneapolis and Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, as well as several Harlem Globetrotter events around the nation. G-Pass is part of the GrouponLive platform.

Erica Noah, a senior executive with the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves, whose team plays at the Target Center, said Groupon's new ticketing system "helps us run a more efficient operation on game days because we don't have to allocate extra resources to exchange vouchers for tickets."

Somewhat surprisingly, Groupon advises G-Pass users to utilize paper vouchers instead of employing its mobile app. "While most mobile devices can support G-Pass, it may be more advantageous to print the voucher instead due to venue availability and orders with multiple tickets and reserved seating," a rep explained via email today.

Since launching GrouponNow in May 2011, the company has been increasingly focused on mobile features. GrouponNow allows consumers to purchase and redeem deals on their smart phones, without printing out a voucher.