Payscout Unveils First-Ever VR Donation at CES

Payscout Inc. has performed the first frictionless donation in virtual reality, the company announced Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The global payment processor, based in Sherman Oaks, said the donation was made to the Jefferson Awards Foundation inside an immersive virtual reality experience. The experience featured a 360-degree video placing the viewer up close and personal in an awards ceremony that honored middle and high school students who are social entrepreneurs from the greater Los Angeles area. The experience was controlled within a mobile-based headset that Payscout created for Jefferson Awards Foundation. The user was able to complete the donation transaction without removing the VR headset. “This is a landmark moment for both the non-profit and payment sectors,” Juan Sotelo, chief operating officer at Payscout, said in a statement. “Virtual reality, like no other medium, places the viewer at the center of a story by fully immersing them in the experience. By integrating a payment component, we are opening the door for nonprofits to create these compelling emotional stories tied to frictionless donation capabilities.” The Jefferson Awards Foundation VR application features an alliance with Visa Checkout.