Last year, Taco Bell and Starbucks both made waves by introducing mobile apps. This year, Wendy’s will jump on the bandwagon by installing mobile-friendly point of sale terminals at over 2,600 locations.
The new payment system will complement the existing Wendy’s mobile rewards program and open up the possibility of mobile ordering in the future. Wendy’s hopes that the new system will provide customers with more ways to order and pay for their food. Eventually, the line should be cut out altogether, and customers will be able to make an order, track it and pay for it from their phones.
Right now, the new system is in operation at 957 locations, all the locations operated directly by the company. Mobile ordering is already available at seven locations in Columbus, OH, and service should be expanded to Phoenix by the end of February. Wendy’s plans to have the updated system installed in all North American locations by the end of 2016.
The shift is designed to appeal to younger customers seeking a more quick and convenient dining and payment experience. Younger customers with smartphones will be able to skip the line by ordering and paying from their mobile devices.
In a statement, Wendy’s CEO Emil Brolick said that “Platforms such as mobile payment, mobile ordering and loyalty programs are rapidly growing in the retail marketplace and provide potential benefits such as consumer convenience, increased transactions, higher check, faster speed of service and a seamless brand experience,”
The release also revealed that Wendy’s is running a pilot loyalty program in nine different markets, and will begin running a pilot test of the MCX mobile wallet solution CurrentC™ in just a few months.
According to the Wendy’s press release, all of these efforts are designed to create a simpler and easier customer experience.