Payments

Mad Mex rolls out contactless pay

May 20, 2021

When life gave Pennsylvania-based Mad Mex limes, the 12-unit chain made margaritas and sold them via NCR Mobile Pay.

The pandemic created a need to eliminate the physical handling of credit cards to increase safety, so the chain, which was using NCR Aloha to run its restaurants, worked with the company and its partner, Pittsburgh POS, to create a way for diners to pay by scanning a QR code with their smartphones, according to a company press release.

"Offering a contactless payment option gives our customers and staff a little more peace of mind. Now, approximately 10% of orders are completed using NCR Mobile Pay," Max Baron, IT manager at Big Burrito Restaurant Group, the parent company of Mad Me, said in the release. "Beyond safety, this payment option has increased our speed of service, which helps us turn tables faster."

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of mobile payments by consumers and restaurants alike, according to Dirk Izzo, president and GM of NCR Hospitality.

"While safety is a driving factor of the technology's adoption, people will continue using it because of convenience and it will remain one of the solutions enabling operators to run their restaurants from end to end," he said in the release. "Our goal is to help customers like Mad Mex seamlessly transition into a contactless future."