NCR Joins Growing Field of Mobile Pay Providers at Restaurants

NCR Corp. added its name to the list of companies offering a mobile payment option for diners.

The Duluth, Ga.-based payment terminal and ATM maker announced last week it would offer restaurant merchants NCR Mobile Pay to integrate with its NCR Aloha POS system.

After scanning a quick-response (QR) code supplied by their server, diners using NCR Mobile Pay can access their bill and pay it through their mobile device, designate favorite menu items, alert a server to the table, or post a review to a social media site.

Payment details are encrypted and the transaction is securely processed through a cloud-based system, NCR states in a press release.

"We want restaurant patrons to have the best experience possible while dining," says Mike Finley, vice president and chief technology officer of hosted solutions for NCR Hospitality, in the release.

Diners can review an order, add to it, take a survey, tip and pay through the system, Finley says. "With NCR Mobile Pay, consumers take action instead of waiting," he adds.

Diners can also access NCR Mobile Pay through ncrpay.com on a mobile browser, which would take them directly to their check, the NCR website states.

Mobile payment applications for restaurant patrons picked up steam in the past year. Companies such as Taddedout have established software that communicates with restaurant or hospitality point-of-sale terminals. 

Hubworks Interactive developed a tablet-based payment system that allows a diner to order and pay for food without a server. 

In addition, Viableware completed its first round of testing early in the year of its Standard Rail device. The gadget looks like the traditional billfold diners get from their servers, but contains a card reader and touchscreen with a stylus. 

Heartland Payment Systems Inc. this year expanded its Mobuyle mobile card reader software to operate more easily in restaurants.