PayPal and Canadian restaurant technology provider TouchBistro announced an agreement today that will make it easier for restaurants to accept mobile payments.
Using PayPal’s mobile application, customers can now check-in to restaurants and cafés, allowing their name and profile picture showing displayed at the point of sale. This adds an extra level of security and makes it easy for restaurants to identify customers and process their payment quicker, without the need for cash or cards.
“We’re collaborating globally with existing POS providers so that businesses don’t have to rip or install new hardware to deliver unique and useful mobile payment experiences for their customers, “said Darrell MacMullin, managing director of PayPal Canada, in a press release. “We’re thrilled to work with TouchBistro, an innovative Canadian POS provider, to build the best-in-class payment experiences for our five million active PayPal users in Canada in the restaurant and food services industry vertical.”
PayPal is already putting the new initiative through a pilot phase in select restaurants and cafés in Canada, including the popular Toronto coffee shop Jimmy’s Coffee, which has been able to keep their line moving quicker by accepting PayPal mobile payment at their TouchBistro iPad kiosk.
“We believe our success stems from the great taste of our coffee and our commitment to excellent customer service,” said Penny Vine, manager of Jimmy’s Coffee, in a press release. “If a customer checks-in with the PayPal mobile app, their photograph shows up at our TouchBistro iPad POS and we greet them by name or have a conversation about their profile pic. It’s driving a whole new level of service, loyalty and convenience. Our customers can now check-in with the PayPal mobile app before they enter the store and walk away with their coffee and snack – completely wallet-free.”