Leafs and Raptors fans will have even fewer reasons to rise out of their seats at the Air Canada Centre this fall, if MasterCard has anything to say about it.

The financial services company is planning to enable automated in-seat food and beverage service with the rollout of Qkr!, a mobile phone app that acts as both a menu and payment system.

“It’s like the entire Amazon.com experience in your hand,” says Matthew Friend, vice-president of business development and operations of Qkr! at MasterCard Labs.

Game attendees will be able to download the app onto their phone, then tie in a credit card — any card, not just a MasterCard. After inputting their seat number and section, they’ll be able to browse and order hot dogs, beer and other items from the ACC’s menu.

The order will then be charged to the user’s card automatically and sent to the nearest concession stand for preparation. A few minutes later, a server will show up with the ordered items.

It’s like using the Uber car ride app, where much of the transaction process is automated.

“The Uber guys set the expectation of what a good user experience should be,” Friend says. “It reduces all the friction.”

New York-based MasterCard has been testing Qkr! at Toronto Rock lacrosse games over the past few months. Sales volumes were five to eight times higher than normal, with users ordering up to 35 per cent more, the company says.

Users don’t pay an extra fee to order through the app; rather, merchants pay a fee.

Staff are now comfortable enough with the system to accommodate the entire lower section of the arena, Friend says. Fans in the upper arena won’t be able to use the app, however, because the concession stands there aren’t equipped with serving staff.

The company is also in talks with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment about implementing Qkr! at the Real Sports Bar and Grill, where it could speed service by eliminating the need for customers to wait for bills.

MasterCard has been rolling the app out in various permutations around the world. U.K. noodle restaurant chain Wagamama is using it for in-seat ordering, while schools in Australia have allowed parents to remotely order lunch for their kids.

At the Arnold Palmer Invitational tournament in Florida earlier this year, users were able to pick up orders through dedicated queues at eight connected concession stands around the golf course.

Tournament organizers were also impressed with the results and are looking to expand Qkr! to gallery seating and some nearby restaurants next year.

“The plan is certainly to expand it and utilize it in different ways. It was a very successful first run,” says Marci Doyle Baker, chief operating officer of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

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Analysts say MasterCard’s entry into apps is the latest example of financial services companies flexing their brands in an increasingly competitive field. With mobile wallets and new payment systems such as Apple Pay proliferating, established players are having to do more to stay top of mind.

“Their hope is to maintain that position as a trusted network that consumers will continue to use,” says James Wester, payments analyst at research firm IDC.

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