Is this the direction mobile payments are heading? We’ve been hoping for a universal payment solution like Isis or Google Wallet to take off, but for now app developers are taking it in their own hands to get the industry off of the ground. OpenTable announced that it has added a new pilot feature to its app that lets you pay your bill right from your phone.
“Rather than waiting for your check or, worse, being later for the theater, with the new OpenTable payments feature, you will be able to pay – and be on your way,” OpenTable’s general manager of payments Kashyap Deorah said.
Deorah said that the pilot is being tested in San Francisco “by diners in select restaurants” but that OpenTable plans to expand the program in just a few weeks. If you’re selected to participate, you just need to open up the OpenTable app on your iPhone and add a credit card. Then, once you’ve booked a table and finished your meal, you’ll see the option to pay right from your phone.
There’s no word on when the program will launch in new markets, though if it’s successful in San Francisco we hope it expands rapidly. There’s nothing worse than sitting at a table ready to leave and waiting for staff to deliver your check. Plus, it should make turnover times much quicker, which means shorter waits at the maitre d’ stand for everyone else.
