Powered by Doha Bank and for the very first time in Qatar, Q-Tickets is enabling users the option of purchasing movie tickets online using an ATM or debit card.

Thanks to Doha Bank’s internet payment gateway, debit cards issued by any bank in Qatar are now accepted on www.q-tickets.com giving Qatar’s cinema goers more flexibility and convenience.

Speaking on the launch of the service, Mr. Suresh Bajpai, the Head of Retail Banking at Doha Bank said ” Doha Bank believes in delivering greater value to the customer and in partnership with Q-Tickets.com we are able to offer a service that is unprecedented in Qatar. Customers can now complete their online payments using their Debit Cards. The service is a first step in allowing such payments for customers of all banks in the country. It also gives people of all income brackets the convenience of purchasing cinema tickets online, conveniently from wherever they are. ”

Mr. Bajpai further added “credit card penetration is low compared to debit/ATM cards, due to various eligibility factors required to secure a credit card, but almost everyone has a debit card: Therefore this facility is a great advantage to frequent movie goers, especially those with busy work schedules and allows people to plan ahead and secure their seats without waiting in queues.”

Mr Satya Yerramsetti, CEO of Q-tickets said: “It is important for our users to have ample choice when buying movie and event tickets. The acceptance of credit and debit cards provides a convenient mechanism to pay for tickets through the web.”

On the Q-Tickets website, users can select their seats and then choose a preferred payment option – ie either credit card, a Doha Bank account, or debit card. On choosing the debit card option, customers are prompted to enter their debit card details. After the user enters his/her debit card details, the user is then directed to QCB’s secure environment on QPay to complete the transaction after entering the 4 digit PIN number.

The debit card payment gateway is a highly secure platform and meets the safety standards regulated and mandated by the Qatar Central Bank. Doha Bank is the first and only major bank providing this facility.

“It’s so convenient, I can now use my ATM card to give my family a weekend treat and surprise them with their favourite shows and don’t need to depend on my husband’s credit card any more” – remarked Ms Bedantika, a frequent Q-Tickets customer. Mr. Abdullah, another excited customer said “This facility was long awaited – as I didn’t have a credit card and hence couldn’t book my tickets online like I always wanted to. Thanks to Doha Bank and Q-Tickets for bringing such niche initiatives to their customers.”

Q-Tickets has sold over 200,000 movie tickets online since Doha Bank and Q-tickets first introduced the online reservation and payment service in late 2013.