Brunch? Maybe. Paying with Cash or Credit Card? No Way.

by Andrew Pietra
September 28, 2020

As diners and bargoers return, with caution, to in-person dining, the stakes are high for operators and consumers alike. Restaurants and bars need to build confidence by offering safe, enjoyable, and memorable experiences that rebuild trust to bring diners back. At the same time, consumers want a return to normalcy, something to break up the monotony of at-home cooking without risking exposure.

So what’s the solution?

Believe it or not, the right contactless all-in-one payment solution may play a bigger role in breaking the ice with consumers than restaurateurs realize.

Payments, which have long been a point of friction in the in-person dining experience, have gotten even more complicated. Nothing brings an enjoyable meal to a screeching halt like being offered a shared pen to sign the bill, or pulling out a bottle of hand sanitizer after your card returns from the back of house.

Coronavirus has increased adoption of mobile payments in the US. As Mike Storiale of Synchrony, a private label credit card provider, put it in a recent interview “Coronavirus served as a catalyst; instead of learning to use a new technology to make transactions more convenient, it was for the sake of safety and self-preservation. That’s a compelling reason to change your routine.”

Now is the time for restaurant operators to adopt contactless payment solutions that decrease friction and increase confidence among consumers. But not all solutions are made equal.

Restaurateurs should be wary of tech that only solves for some consumer challenges. What good is a contactless payment solution if you’ve still got to use single-use printed menus? Using the tableside card readers or tap-to-pay option built into your POS seems ok, until you realize it will increase the dead post-meal wait time. Contactless payments should ensure dining experiences run smoothly, without unnecessary interactions or delays for guests.

Outpay is one of a host of new contactless payments solutions giving diners the reassurance they need to dine-in with confidence. Safely browsing the menu? No problem, just scan a QR code at the table, at the bar, or at the host stand. Adding a round of drinks? Of course, just ask your server and it’s added to your tab. Splitting the bill? Done in seconds with secure mobile payment. Ready to pay? Simply get up and leave.

Outpay solves for operational issues too. Maintaining a smooth flow of service? You got it. Dining and dashing? Not on our watch, payment details are verified at the beginning of the meal to ensure you collect payment every time. Bringing customers back in targeted promotions? Consider it done with a Zenreach partnership that offers a year of loyalty marketing services for free.

All-inclusive contactless payment solutions are what restaurateurs and diners need now to make confident dine-out decisions.

Noone’s got a crystal ball, but what is abundantly clear is there will less likely be a return to normalcy and more likely be a new normal for dining experiences that includes contactless payments. We’ll put our money on it.


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