T
he hospitality sector faces a range of unique challenges when taking pay- ments. Not only is speed of the essence
for today’s customers – and a key reason why mobile payments are on the up – but operators also need to be able to integrate everything from a small cash payment for a coffee to a week’s hotel stay booked online. They also need systems that are future-proofed and ready for the next technological breakthrough. Today’s diners and hotel guests don’t like to wait. Whether they’re paying for a coffee at Starbucks, settling the bill at a fine-dining restaurant or checking out of a hotel, they expect convenience and efficiency at the point of payment. Stephen Kennedy, non-executive chairman of mobile payment provider Wi-Q, says: “In hospitality, when a customer says ‘can I have the bill?’ what they’re really saying is ‘I want to leave now.’ If payment provision is limited or slow, it will negatively affect the whole customer experience.”
And ensuring the payment process is fast and convenient isn’t the only challenge for hospitality operators. Hoteliers in particular offer many different experiences – from the room itself to treatments in the spa or coffee in the lobby – that can be booked and paid for via different methods. All need to be integrated and able to communicate with each other. Payment devices in a venue’s restaurants and bars must also be robust enough to handle spilled drinks, and secure enough to give customers the confidence to use them – recent research by CGA Peach and Zonal Retail Data Systems shows that 51% of 18 to 44-year-olds are ready to use their mobile device for payment, but even more are concerned about safety. And, of course, technology should never be used to entirely replace the personal service the hospitality industry is known for.
Modern musts
While cash is still a mainstay in hospitality, particularly in restaurants, pubs and bars, businesses that don’t take card payments are already being left behind. “Cash is still quite popular, but operators that don’t allow card payments, whether it’s the whole range of cards or a selection, will be at a disadvantage,” says Luis de Souza, chief executive of technology provider NFS Technol- ogy Group. “If a restaurant doesn’t take cards, I’m not going to go to that outlet – it’s as simple as that. As a consumer with choice, I will typically go to places where I can pay in the most convenient way.” Specifically, card terminals should offer chip and pin functionality as well as contact- less, which is more and more popular for small transactions (although it still accounted for only £2.32b in 2014, just 2.7% of all card transactions). “One of the biggest issues is that tap and pay doesn’t require any other authen- tication, which results in easy fraud and theft if the card is lost,” says Owen Chen, president and chief executive of Posiflex Technology. It’s just one reason why customers want the option of mobile contactless payments through systems such as Apple Pay, as well as the choice to view, pay and split their bills via
28 | Technology Prospectus 2016
“The ability to pay at the table is a must, enabling servers to take the machine to the client and offer the full range of payment options” Stuart Coetzee, TISSL
Settled
With customers wanting to be able to pay their bill and leave a venue whenever they’re ready, operators that don’t invest in mobile payment solutions risk being left behind. Elly Earls assesses the options
in seconds
www.thecaterer.com
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