Have you ever wondered how much time and effort restaurant staff puts into collecting the payment from the customers? As per a report, the traditional payment method involves 12 steps and roughly around 9 minutes per table. That’s a lot of time to waste, especially during rush hours. A restaurant business owner can reduce it by using pay-at-table technology.  

What Is Pay-At-Table Technology?

With pay-at-table technology, restaurant staff can take bills and mobile payment devices together to the table. Guests can review and quickly pay using their card or check. Also, they can enter the tip amount at the same time. 

But, not every pay-at-table device maximizes profits. You must look for the following features before buying any pay-at-table device:

• POS Integration: Pay-at-table devices integrated with the restaurant point of sale (POS) systems can provide the highest efficiency level. 
• Connection: The device should have wireless connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, to connect with the POS system.
• EMV Transactions: The device with Europay, Mastercard, Visa (EMV) payment features accepts card payment securely. It also reduces the chances of card fraud and saves you the cost and hassles of chargebacks.
• Customer-Friendly Interface: Make sure that the device is user-friendly, and be it guests or staff, anyone can make transactions easily. It should also have options to pay full or split the check, tip suggestions, and service ratings. 
• Contactless Payments: With technological advancement, people prefer mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. It provides great convenience to the customers and enables them to tap and go.
• Time-Saving Features: The device should make server work easier. It should allow connecting with the POS system to open checks, modify items, all checks list, and re-order functions. It will save time and effort for both restaurant staff and customers.
• Digital Receipt: The tableside payment device should have the option to print a receipt and send it to the customer’s email address. Also, if it can be stored in the restaurant database, it is a bonus!
• Warranty: Choose a device that gives a hardware warranty to replace the device if accidentally damaged or dropped. It will protect your investment.

Benefits Of Pay-At-Table Technology 

Not just restaurant owners but also customers benefit from the pay-at-table technology. Here is why it is a smart investment for your restaurant: 

• Delivers Operational Ease

Showing a bill to the customer and receiving payment in a single interaction can save a lot of time and prevent multiple trips by the restaurant staff. It cuts downs the back and forth staff movement and provides a better dining experience. Also, pay-at-table makes payment convenient even when customers wish to split the bills and pay individually at the table.  

• Improves Table Turns

Slow service leads to slow table turns, which means fewer people served and less revenue generated. Table ordering services and Pay-at-table replace the old way and streamline the entire process. Thereby increasing the table turns.

• Enhances Customer Service

Servers run back and forth from the table to the POS software, and customers are sitting. Fast payment will reduce customer waiting time and enhance customer service. It will provide them with a fantastic dining experience, and they don’t have to wait for long periods. Tableside payment also improves customer satisfaction and provides them optimal guest experience. 

• Increases Tips

Many customers aren’t sure about the tip amount. Let pay-at-table technology take care of it! It will automatically suggest tip amounts. Also, customers can quickly know how much percentage they are tipping. It will also increase the total gratuities and tips restaurant staff receive.

• Improves Customer Engagement

The technology gives servers more face time rather than dropping checks and walking away. It gives an opportunity to the staff to engage with the customers. The staff stays at the table throughout the transaction. 

Happy customers always give positive online reviews on restaurant review websites and apps. To utilize the time, restaurant staff can directly ask the customers for their feedback or fill out a brief survey. It will improve the customer experience.

Also, the options for digital receipts can help the restaurant to gather their email ids to build a customer database. It can be used to run effective proactive marketing campaigns to build a loyal customer base and increase repeat customers visits. 

• Provides Payment Security

During the payment, either the customer pays using their credit card, or it is done in front of their eyes. Although customers might not get how secure the payments are, they appreciate that card never leaves out of their sight. It gives security to them that their card data and personal information are not being compromised.

• Increases Profits

Fast operations, less waiting time, high table turns, payment security, and a happy customer improves restaurant profits over time. It is profitable for business operations. 

The fast-paced lives of the modern world make customers value their time more. They demand convenience and want fast services. Restaurant owners need to adopt the latest technology accordingly. One such technology is pay-at-table. It eases the operation and satisfies customers with payment security, less waiting time, and meaningful customer engagement. Invest smartly by adding pay-at-table technology to your restaurant.