ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the first time, fans heading to the trop are getting the chance to use new facial authentication technology to get into the ballpark.

Friday marked the first day the tech was used, and that makes Tropicana Field the seventh in Major League Baseball to use it.  

Rays Fan John DeNovi is one of the first to enter using MLB Go-Ahead Entry.  

“I’ve got a lot of tickets on my phone, so if it knows I’m coming and I’ve got a ticket for today’s game, it knows my face and lets me right in the door,” he said.  

Officials say the purpose of the program is to shorten the time fans have to wait in line by getting rid of the process of scanning tickets. 

Once registered, all a fan has to do is walk in and an image of their face is turned into a token. 

The program will know if that person has a ticket for the game.  

Once the program knows a person has tickets, it also works for anyone else who’s registered under the ticket holder’s account and lets them into the park. 

DeNovi said while some people may not trust this technology, he’s seen it used all over the world and is ready to embrace it.

“I think I trust the MLB and I trust the Rays,” he said. “It’s not going away, it’s going to be this in the future so get on board with it now.” 

Any fans who decide to use the program from Aug. 30 to Sept. 5 will get two free tickets to any home game left this season.