Fast food is all about speed. Every second counts. One of the challenges many fast food chains have traditionally faced is how to offer loyalty programs without adding extra time to customer service. When payment and loyalty are separate transactions, the loyalty transaction adds about 30 seconds to the overall experience.
Now, everything is changing. Fast food chains are able to collect payment more quickly using mobile services. They can also combine payment with loyalty in one transaction. For the first time ever, the fast food chain is able to offer loyalty programs to their customers without extending the time it takes to serve the customer. In fact, transaction time is reduced. With all the payment data now collected on a single transaction, fast food chains are able to offer more relevant promotions to their customers as part of the loyalty program. This means higher margin promotional programs, faster transactions, and a more personalized relationship. This is a really exciting time as the industry evolves.
There are lots of benefits in combining payment with loyalty. However, some customers might not be ready for this. For this reason, restaurant chains should look for a mobile solution that combines loyalty programs with payments, but also allows the customer to use their mobile phone for loyalty programs alone.
Some customers are not comfortable with mobile payments due to security concerns. The best way to address this is by offering a mobile loyalty solution that includes an optional mobile payment. This way, as demand for mobile payment increases, people can activate the mobile payment option when they want to.