At Mobile World Congress, Mastercard has said that they will be expanding Qkr! with Masterpass, a mobile order-ahead and payment platform developed by Mastercard Labs, to six new markets and add new functionality to eliminate the traditional “open tab” at a bar, club or restaurant.
Qkr! enables consumers to quickly order and
pay for goods and services via their smart phone without having to wait in line or for a restaurant server. The app uses Masterpass, a global digital payment service that speeds up the checkout process without requiring consumers to enter their financial and shipping information at every new merchant site.
In 2017, They will expand the Qkr platform to six additional markets - Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa and the United States - to seamlessly pay for fees, supplies and excursions at schools, and make payments at gas stations, parking, sports arenas, and unattended retail such as vending machines. Mastercard is also partnering with Oracle to integrate Qkr and Masterpass in Oracle
point-of-sale software and systems to scale these digital payment platforms to merchants worldwide.
“Today, we’re looking for convenience in all parts of our lives,” said Betty DeVita, chief commercial officer, Digital Payments and Labs, Mastercard. “Though grab-and-go retail is becoming increasingly popular with those on the move, consumers maintain high customer service expectations. Qkr! with Masterpass provides them with a frictionless retail experience - bringing together self-service, fast, seamless payments and card safety and security in new and unique ways.”
Going Cashless at the Bar with Qkr!
Mastercard is adding a new feature to Qkr! called “Open Tab” that enables customers to open a tab at the bar without depositing a payment card or an identity document like a driver’s license with the bartender.
Research shows that diners often have to wait as long as 12 minutes to flag a server, receive the bill and make a payment. Forgetting and leaving a payment card behind is also a common phenomenon. With “Open Tab,” customers are able to see their order on their phone and pay via their mobile device when they are ready. Bills can be easily split between multiple customers who can either select and pay for individual items or choose to pay for one or more rounds. Masterpass speeds the checkout process, eliminating the wait. The feature will be available to restaurants in summer of 2017.