Fast food chain Burger King plans to offer mobile payment app

Fast food restaurant Burger King today announced plans to rollout an iOS application that will allow customers to pay for their meals using their smartphone, reports Bloomberg. This new payment system could debut as early as next month. The new payment program will debut next month as the number 2 burger chain in the US tries to attract a younger crowd, who prefer the convenience of mobile payments. Similar to Starbucks, the Burger King app will use a reloadable gift card system to supply funds necessary for payments. The program will be introduced next month and should be in all of Burger King’s more than 7,000 U.S. locations in “a few months,” Bryson Thornton, a spokesman for the company, said in an e-mailed statement. The option to order food and drinks ahead of time for later in-store pickup may be added, he said. Burger King will join several other fast food restaurants that already offer mobile apps. Chains like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Dunkin Donuts offer apps that allow customers to find nearby stores, browse nutrition information and both order and purchase meals. These apps also offer coupons and other discounts to customers. Coffee chain Starbucks is the leader in the mobile app department and has long allowed customers to make purchases using their iPhone. The latest version of the app, released on Wednesday, adds “shake to pay,” which allows customers to easily pay for their coffee by shaking their phone. The shake movement will automatically retrieve the barcode of the customer’s Starbucks card and present it for payment scanning. It also allows customers to tip to their barista directly from within the app. Do you use a mobile app to purchase meals at a fast food restaurant? Continue reading →

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