Over the past few years, the use of mobile and contactless payment technology has steadily been on the rise. However, due to COVID-19 we have seen a drastic increase in the adoption of mobile payments. According to Mobile Payments Today, “with the right mobile payment solution, the process of closing a bill, obtaining customer authorization and processing a payment that used to take up to fifteen minutes can now be done in just a few seconds.” Not only do mobile payment solutions increase revenue through a reduction in transaction time, they also satisfy the digital contactless experience that guests are looking for today.
On the other hand, with an increase in demand for contactless payments, comes a boom in contactless payment vendors. So how does a restaurant select the best payment solution for their business? Our advice is to look at your point-of-sale (POS) and determine which solution meshes best with your POS and business. You will need a seamless integration between both systems, otherwise you may face challenges in usability, which could lead to unhappy guests.
The idea of contactless payment boils down to a need to move away from consumers touching payment devices, to the extent possible. A restaurant will have to look at their POS and the contactless means they can offer with their current POS set-up, and determine how much control they would like to put into their guest’s hands.
As an example, there are five main options that an Infrasys Cloud POS user may have:
- Fixed workstation: In this scenario, the restaurant has a fixed workstation and a fixed payment device. This situation gives the restaurant complete control over the payment process as the restaurant does not hand anything to the guest. Payment is performed at the workstation, and the waiter or waitress oversees each step.
- Tablet POS: With a tablet, a server can bring a tablet with a payment device attached to the guest’s table and collect payment tableside. This allows a customer to pay with a contactless card, or a digital wallet.
- Fixed workstation with mobile payment device: If a restaurant is looking for some control over the payment process, but not all, they may look to use a fixed workstation with a mobile payment device. In this scenario, only the payment device is brought to the guest’s table for payment with a contactless card or digital wallet.
- QR code payment: For a restaurant who wants the guest to have complete control over payment, a guest’s receipt can have a QR code printed on it. To pay, the guest simply scans the QR code and enters in their payment information on the website that appears once the code is scanned. This is a great example of using technology to enable guests.
- Mobile order and pay: This scenario not only gives a guest complete control over the payment process, but also allows them to control the ordering process. With Infrasys’ sister brand, MyCheck, a guest can use their own mobile device to view a restaurant’s menu, place their order, and pay. Here, a guest owns the entirety of their restaurant experience.
Infrasys Cloud POS has the benefit of a connection with Shiji Payment Solutions– Shiji’s homegrown payment solution that is built on over a decade of experience collaborating with banks and merchants. With the Shiji Payment platform, Infrasys connects to a range of payment solutions and merchants with minimal effort, effectively providing a cutting-edge, scalable, and secure payment solution.
Since the world of payments is constantly evolving, it is important to select a POS and payment partner that empowers you to adapt to future technologies. Infrasys is built on Shiji’s open API platform. With this open platform, you are able to be flexible and add new systems and features as they become available.
This article was originally written by the Infrasys team. It has been moved here as part of the Shiji Group family of hospitality technology brands.
