Producers can be quick to dismiss the idea that people would ever pay for internet access at an event because, hey, it’s not 2012 any more, right? Almost everyone has unlimited data on their phone plans these days, so what’s the point? That’s true, but sometimes the stars align and either internet access is important enough, or inaccessible enough that people at your event will pay to get online. In this case, adding a User Pays Guest WiFi network offers a way to bring in revenue and manage guest data consumption simply and affordably. So, under what circumstances is it worth considering adding a Payment Gateway to your guest WiFi? Let’s start at the beginning.
User Pays Guest WiFi – what is it?
User Pays Guest WiFi is a way of managing a dedicated guest network by adding a Payment Gateway during the login process. Users connect to the wireless network by finding your SSID (network name) on their device, and when they attempt to access the internet, a Payment Gateway (sometimes called a Billing Splash Page) displays on their phone. The user then pays for WiFi access using a credit card. The event producer chooses how they would like to charge their guests for WiFi access depending on their objective. Users either pay for time online or for a certain amount of data. The producer sets the price at a rate that makes sense for the event context. Your network engineer will configure your network so that when the user runs out of time or data, they will be disconnected from the network. Most User Pays Guest WiFi platforms will transfer your earnings the following day after people have paid for internet access.