Mobile Payment Alternatives

As mentioned in our previous post, mobile payments are becoming a necessity for the restaurant industry. And according to the study performed by Velocity, 43 percent of customers say they would eat out more if mobile payments were available. In case your restaurant’s mobile app doesn’t offer payments yet, there are alternatives to use in the meantime. Apple Pay

When Apple announced its newest feature, Apple Pay, the restaurant industry rejoiced. Apple Pay is currently backed by fast-casual and qsr national brands like Panera Bread, and Starbucks and will be available at Chipotle, Subway and McDonald’s. Unlike other payment options that charge their clients to make a profit, Apple Pay has nothing to gain. The Forbes article mentions, “Apple comes into this revenue neutral,” says Moorhead. “They’re not trying to make money off the payment system. They’re trying to increase the preference for their device.”

Cover

Cover is a mobile payment app that allows it’s users to legally “dine and dash” by receiving the check straight to their phones. Currently, the app serves over 90 restaurants in NYC and over 25 in the San Francisco bay area. Cover made major headlines this summer when it raised $5.5 million in funding to attract new users and restaurants. And according to the article posted on Eater, the app is also raising guests’ spending as well. Mark Egerman the co-founder states that “his check averages are 7-12 percent higher than America Express” because Cover doesn’t show a running tab and skips the painful transaction of paying the bill.

Dash

Although Dash and Cover may share similarities, Dash users are able to view an itemized bill once they’ve finished. Dash also received a patent for its ability to connect a guest’s phone to a restaurant’s point of sales systems and to split the check. The app is available for guests dining in NYC and Chicago. And according to the article posted on Business Insider, Dash raised $750,000 in 2013 and $1.2 million in the beginning of the year.

MyCheck

MyCheck is another mobile payment app that allows restaurant guests to view, split and pay for their check in real time. However, MyCheck users are able to pay via PayPal instead of adding a credit card to the account. According to Tech Crunch, the app is currently integrated with 25 point of sales systems and has over 3,000 retailers world wide.

Does your restaurant accept Cover, MyCheck, Dash? Share your experience with the mobile payment app by commenting below.