The next time you’re enjoying a burger and fries at Wendy’s, you’ll be able to pay using the official mobile app — the fast food outlet is rolling out the feature to the majority of its 5,800 stores across the U.S., letting customers transfer cash using a six-digit code.
Wendy’s has been testing the scheme over the past year, and executives say it has resulted in an increased number of visits to the chain. The company is particularly keen to attract younger customers who have a stronger attachment to their mobile devices: “If they want to come in and give us business, we want to allow them to pay the way they want to pay,” Chief Marketing Officer Craig Bahner told AP.
It’s not all good news for tech-savvy Wendy’s fans, though — for now, the app doesn’t include any promotional offers or discount codes, and you can’t use it to order deliveries either, so you won’t be able to order a meal from your sofa just yet. The app does include nutritional information about each item on the menu though, and of course there’s the option to find your nearest outlet.
As for the two bigger burger chains, Burger King is launching its own mobile payments service next month, and McDonald’s says it’s looking into the potential of the technology too. “We’re going to have to put some things out there that we know are not 100 percent perfect,” said McDonald’s Chief Financial Officer Pete Bensen. “But if you wait in this space until everything is 100 percent figured out, then you’re going to miss the whole opportunity.”
Any questions? Check out the FAQ page that Wendy’s has put up. You can get hold of the app now for iOS and Android.
