DBS Bank is testing the Foodster bot for order-and-pay at restaurants through Facebook Messenger.
The Singapore-based bank says the Foodster bot will allow participating restaurants to interact with customers and accept transactions through social media platforms like Messenger that already have a large pool of users.
Customers can search for participating restaurants in Messenger by entering their name and the 'Foodster' suffix. They will then see a full menu from which they can place an order before paying with a DBS card or the bank's PayLah! mobile wallet.
"We are aware that consumers today are more likely to have ‘app fatigue’ and have become resistant to downloading new mobile apps," Jeremy Soo, head of consumer banking group in Singapore for DBS, said in a Monday press release.
"We saw an opportunity to combine our strengths with Singapore's most widely used social media platform," Soo said, noting DBS has more than four million cards in circulation and its popular mobile wallet in play.
Foodster, currently being tested at seven food and beverage locations, accepts customized orders, retains the user’s history, and automatically offers eligible customers discounts and promotions. An express option lets customers, after a one-time authorization and set-up, pay for all future orders with one tap, the bank said.
