Restaurant Payment Trends That Deliver Efficiency & ROI

In the near future, restaurant guests could be paying for their meals with the palm of their hand.

No, it’s not sorcery, it’s already happening in Austin, Texas, where the Arbor Trails Whole Foods store is offering “palm recognition” service via Amazon One. As recently reported by Progressive Grocer, customers create a “palm signature” linked to bank card information and, voila, checkout becomes quicker and easier than ever.

And Whole Foods isn’t the only brand making payments as easy as the wave of a hand. As HT has reported, Carnival is empowering cruise guests to conduct transactions via wearable devices that make orders and purchases as simple as a tap.

Palm recognition and wearable devices are just two payment innovations possibly headed to restaurants — and they are certainly indicative of an over arching trend.

“Restaurant guests are looking for accuracy, security, convenience and speed, especially as they become accustomed to services like Amazon’s one-click purchases, automatic toll payments, and emerging grab, scan, and go options in some grocery stores,” says Daniel J. Connolly, Ph.D., Professor of Management, College of Business and Public Administration, Drake University.

Restaurants now offer a wider variety of payment options than ever before, with plenty more on the horizon. Here, we’ll explore evolving guest expectations, emerging technologies, and how restaurants can best prepare for what’s ahead.