Until now, to “dine and dash” meant running off without paying, but that’s about to change.
Barclaycard has announced that its customers will be able to make restaurant mobile payments by simply leaving an establishment. The solution means diners can leave once they’re finished eating. It eliminates the need to wait for a bill at the end of a meal.
The service has been nicknamed “Dine & Dash” because diners can leave without waiting for a bill.
To use the Dine & Dash restaurant mobile payments service, customers need a smartphone and an app. Once they’ve downloaded the Dine & Dash app, they can go to an eatery that uses the service. Those locations have totems at each table.
Upon arrival at the restaurant, diners must tap their phone to the totem on their table. This connects the diner’s phone (and the app installed on it) with that particular table and its orders. Once the diners at the table have finished eating, they can simply walk out of the restaurant. The app recognizes that the diner has left the location and will automatically complete the checkout process. The app pays the restaurant using the payment method selected in advance by the diner.
The restaurant mobile payments service has been compared to the Amazon Go checkout-free experience.
With Amazon Go stores, customers simply tap their way in using their smartphones, place the items they want into their shopping bags and then leave the store. The Amazon Go app registers when the customer has left and pays the store using the payment method the customer has selected.
“Building on our experience in ‘invisible payments’, we wanted to create an innovative solution that removes any barriers to enjoying the meal, whilst also helping restaurants deliver great service and keep those diners coming back,” explained Barclaycard managing director of future payments, Nick Kerigan. He added that the new Dine & Dash app provides consumers and restaurants with a “win win” because it eliminates the inconvenience of making a payment.
The restaurant mobile payments service is still in its testing period. Barclaycard is currently running trials at the Prezzo restaurant located in Central London on St. Martins Lane Avenue. Customers who want to give it a try will be able to test it on March 13 provided they have downloaded and installed the mobile app.
