I love comedy clubs. From well-known venues like the Upright Citizen’s Brigade in New York to the smaller haunts like Sanford’s in Kansas City, step foot any one of the hundreds of comedy clubs around the country and you’ll likely laugh – a lot. That’s usually not a problem, but if you’re heading to a club in Barcelona either come armed with a lot of cash or a straight-up poker face, because you’re about to be charged per laugh.

The BBC reports that a comedy club in Barcelona is currently experimenting with the new payment system that uses facial-recognition technology to track how much visitors enjoy the show.

The facial recognition software is installed on tablets attached to the back of each seat in the club. For each laugh customers emit they’ll be charged 0.30 euros, or $0.38, up to a maximum of 24 euros, or $30.45 per visit.

Officials with the club say the pay-per-laugh system was a project developed to combat falling audience numbers after the government increased taxes on theater tickets.

So far, the club says, the experiment has proved to be a positive experience, with overall ticket prices up.

Comedy club charges per laugh with facial recognition [BBC]

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