The Importance of Being Contactless

While COVID-19 forced many restaurant owners into quickly changing previous “standard” practices and procedures, contactless alternatives that were readily available before now see ownership pivoting due to necessity and customer demand.

At the forefront of the contactless movement has been the implementation of touchless payment terminals providing a new option outside the previous “cash or card” question, especially with many customers and businesses restricting the use of cash payments all together. But while contactless payment alternatives can not only help keep your employees safe, most importantly your customers have come to expect and almost demand these changes as they venture back out to enjoy dining in the restaurant.

In Visa’s recent “Back to Business Study” conducted in June of this year, 78% of respondents said they have changed the way they pay in the wake of intensified safety concerns since COVID-19, whether that be ordering online, using contactless payments or not using cash. These are customer behaviors we expect to stick around.  

Contactless or touchless payments allows your guest to use mobile technology to transmit information over short distances, such as with NFC, to complete a payment without a card or cash physically changing hands.   With options like Apple Pay, Google Wallet and Samsung Pay, guests can use their phones, watches or physical card to process their transaction without contact – making it safer for both guest and employee. What was at once a convenient upgrade has shifted quickly to the customer demanded standard.

The same Visa study showed 60% of consumers would switch to a new business that installed contactless payment options, 46% of consumers note using contactless payment methods among the most important safety measure for a business to follow and 48% would not visit a business that only offers traditional payment methods requiring them to hand over or swipe their card.

Ryan Corbin, owner of the local Java Jo’s coffee chain implemented contactless payment terminals at all 5 of his locations after a push from his customers to go touchless. “No touch payments is something our customers have been asking for and we are happy that Spark Solutions Group delivered it for us at all our locations.”

Your customers are asking for it and we are here to help you deliver.