Pay at the table

A quick processing of the bill and lower risk of fraud are reasons why technology that allows payment at the restaurant table was developed

After a meal at Potomac Pizza in Gaithersburg, Maryland, diners can swipe their debit cards, punch in their personal identification number and pocket their receipt8212;all without leaving the table. That8217;s thanks to a new technology that allows customers to pay at the table with their debit cards. The technology, developed by Micros Systems Inc and VeriFone Inc, is being tested at the Maryland restaurant and will be launched in the next two months at dozens of restaurants around the US.

But experts say such technologies will likely spread even further than that, becoming increasingly prevalent in restaurants over the next several years.

As the industry expands, so will the ways restaurants can use technology to make their customers8217; dining experience more pleasurable, said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research and information services for the National Restaurant Association in Washington.

8220;You really are going to see in the years ahead much more emphasis on tabletop payment systems as well as ordering systems,8217;8217; Riehle said. 8220;And it really is a rapidly evolving area, which is a win-win situation for both the customer and the operator.8217;8217;

For the business owners, experts say the devices translate to a quicker turnaround time on tables and sometimes lower fees from credit card companies. For diners, it could mean speedier service and the increased security of their debit cards never leaving their sight. Forty-two percent of consumers would use technology that allows them to order or pay at the table if their favourite restaurant had it, according to the association8217;s 2006 Restaurant Industry Forecast.

While mobile ordering systems have been around for a while, at restaurants both in the US and in Europe and at other venues such as car rental businesses, Micros Systems, based in Columbia, Maryland, says its Pay at the Table technology is different because it allows customers to use their PIN and pay using debit rather than credit. With the debit function, Pay at the Table brings a new twist to Micros8217; existing hand-held payment technology, and the company hopes to see it used at restaurants for both sit-down customers and curbside delivery.

Each splash-resistant hand-held device allows customers to confirm the price of their meal, swipe their cards, add a tip the device also offers pre-calculated tip values for its users and print a receipt.

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Executives from both Micros and VeriFone say the technology was developed for several reasons. Among them, allowing consumers to use a debit rather than credit card, a trend consumers have been moving toward and one that can save restaurants money because banks sometimes charge businesses less per debit transaction than per credit transaction.

Also, the technology can speed up the process of leaving the restaurant after the meal is over, making for a happier customer and allowing restaurateurs to move tables faster. Finally, Pay at the Table was developed to help protect diners from fraud. 8220;We8217;d been hearing that customers would prefer not to let their debit or credit card out of their sight,8217;8217; said Paul Armstrong, Micros8217; chief technology officer.

Stacey Hirsh