PayPal has added two new mobile payment systems to its UK app, Pay At Table and Order Ahead.
Available in the US since September last year, Pay At Table and Order Ahead allow you to pay for your food using your phone and order it ahead of the visit respectively - all without any fancy NFC technology (which is why it’s good news for iPhone users).
This UK implementation kicks of PayPal’s wider roll-out of payment services around Europe. You can now use PayPal to pay for items in more than 2,000 restaurants and shops around Britain, but this particular implementation is new and available in the Wagamama, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, and Prezzo restaurant chains.
Pay At Table doesn’t just negate the need for whipping out your wallet in restaurants, it makes the whole process easier. Splitting the bill between multiple Pay At Table users is easy, as is adding a tip from multiple sources.
It works by producing a four digit code upon seating, which you then give to your waiter. From that point on, all of your ordered items appear on the app - which could also be a great way of monitoring those mistaken additions.
Another restaurant bugbear that this app removes is waiting to pay. Once you check out of the app, you’ve paid, and you can leave the restaurant without waiting around for an extra 20 minutes trying to get the waiter’s attention to settle up.
It’s also possible to add a picture of yourself to your PayPal account in order for participating restaurants to verify your identity in an alternative check-in system.
Order Ahead, as its name suggests, is more of a take away tool, though participating restaurants may also allow you to eat in once you get there. It lets you check out a restaurant’s menu, choose your meal, and when you want to pick it up or arrive to scarf it down.
Both Pay At Table and Order Ahead are available through the free PayPal app on iOS and Android right now. Naturally, you’ll need a PayPal account (with money in it) to make use of these new features.
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