4 Contactless Payment Solutions Every Restaurateur Needs to Thrive

Contactless payments have been increasing in popularity, even before COVID-19 rocked the world. According to Statista, contactless payment revenue in 2018 was $48 billion. There’s no doubt, however, that the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of contactless payments amongst consumers and businesses alike. According to a report earlier this year, 27% of businesses reported an increase in contactless payments following the beginning of the pandemic, and Juniper Research predicts that by 2022, over half of point of sale (POS) transactions will be contactless.

It’s quite apparent that in order to thrive in the new normal, restauranteurs need to adopt a contactless payment strategy if they haven’t already done so. Read on to explore how contactless technology works, four of the top contactless payment solutions on the market today, the many benefits of contactless payments, and how Star Micronics can help you roll these technologies out to your restaurant customers.

How Does Contactless Technology Work?

Contactless technology largely relies on radio frequency identification (RFID) and near-field communication (NFC) technologies. Inside contactless cards, there is a chip that emits radio waves that are picked up by the contactless payment terminal (also known as an RFID reader). The terminal will pick up the signal emitted by the card, communicate with the card, and process the payment. The customer is then alerted that the payment has been completed (or not) by the terminal.

Similarly, if a customer is paying with a mobile phone or other smart device, the device uses NFC to transmit data to the terminal, and again the terminal will alert the customer that the transaction was successful or unsuccessful.

4 Must-Have Contactless Payment Solutions

Even as restaurants have reopened their doors, safety is a priority to diners and business owners alike. The below contactless payment solutions are popular amongst consumers and are important for restauranteurs to adopt in order to thrive in the new normal.

1. Contactless Debit and Credit Cards

It’s important for restaurants to deploy payment terminals that feature NFC capability so that they can process contactless debit and credit card transactions. These terminals, as well as debit and credit cards capable of contactless payments, have a contactless payment symbol on them to indicate contactless transactions are supported. When it’s time to pay, customers simply hold their card one to two inches away from the contactless symbol on the terminal and voila – the payment is made.

2. Mobile Wallets

Mobile wallets like Apply Pay and Google Wallet – which are available on a range of devices including smartphones, smart watches, fitness trackers, key fobs, and more – work similarly to contactless debit and credit cards. Diners simply hold their device in close proximity to the contactless payment terminal to complete their transactions.

3. Pay at Table

Another great contactless payment solution for restauranteurs is pay at table. According to Mobile Payments Today, 69% of diners think that waiting for the check is the most frustrating part of the dining out experience. Help your restaurant customers improve their diners’ experiences by integrating pay at table into your POS software. Pay at table functionality can enable guests to simply check-in through the restaurant’s app where their bill can be associated to their mobile device, creating a seamless transaction where diners can pay at any time and there is no reason for a server to touch their card or cash.

4. QR Codes

Restaurants looking for an easy, affordable contactless payment method need not look further than their receipt printer! If restauranteurs have receipt printers capable of printing QR codes, like Star Micronics printers, they can print QR codes that diners simply scan with their smartphone camera, which then opens the restaurant’s app or website where customers can pay their bill.