“Wendy’s is rolling out a program that lets customers pay using their smartphones, following a similar plans unveiled by Burger King this week,” Candice Choi reports for The Associated Press. “The Wendy’s Co., based in Dublin, Ohio, has been testing the mobile payment option over the past year and said the majority of its roughly 5,800 U.S. locations are now ready to accept the payments.”
“Burger King Worldwide Inc. also said this week it would introduce a mobile payment program at its U.S. restaurants in April,” Choi reports. “McDonald’s Corp., meanwhile, has acknowledged the importance of mobile payments and offers but is still in a testing phase after hiring its first chief digital officer this past October… McDonald’s isn’t alone in still figuring out exactly how it wants to approach mobile payments and loyalty programs. Chipotle is still experimenting with the options as well.”
“Wendy’s saw promising trends in tests, including increased visits. The app doesn’t yet offer discounts or a loyalty program, a feature that’s considered a way to help cultivate customer loyalty,” Choi reports. “To pay with the My Wendy’s app, customers tap the app to pull up a six-digit number they tell the cashier, rather than holding up their device to a scanner. Burger King also said its app will give customers a four-digit number they tell cashiers to make a payment.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Sarah” and “Lynn Weiler” for the heads up.]