News

McDonald's Australia adopts contactless payments

November 8, 2010

McDonald's Australia may have just added more speed to its quick-service repertoire. The chain has adopted Visa PayWave, a system that allows customers to pay simply by placing or tapping their credit/debit cards on a reader near the register.

The rollout is expected in more than 815 units throughout the country.

The contactless payments are available for transactions of $100 or less and do not require a signature or Personal Identification Number (PIN).

According to the International Business Times, Visa Paywave-enabled cards are as secure as any other Visa chip card and include multiple layers of security such as Visa's Zero Liability.

Adding more peace of mind, the card never leaves the owner's hands.

Henry Shiner, chief information officer, McDonald's Australia, said he expects a national rollout by the end of November.

"This is just one more efficiency that we have introduced to improve the customer experience. With Visa PayWave, customers will see speedier transactions and they can pick up their food with just a wave of their card. Not only does this offer our customers more flexibility in the way they pay, it also provides them with a highly secure payment method," Shiner told IBS.

Contactless payments are becoming more common in the United States, as well. Among quick-service chains that have adopted MasterCard PayPass or another contactless system are Tim Horton's, Whataburger, McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Taco Bueno and Jack in the Box.

However, contactless payment still has some room to grow with U.S. consumers.