And finally…new ‘Dine & Dash’ payment revealed

The ‘Dine & Dash’ solution is to be unveiled with a consumer trial at high-street chain Prezzo in March, Barclaycard has revealed.

The launch comes in response to 38 per cent of diners who want to avoid waiting for the bill and 67 per cent of restaurant owners who are in favour of an ‘invisibill’ way to pay to improve service and customer satisfaction.

New research from Barclaycard, which is committed to developing innovations that make payments quicker and easier for both consumers and merchants, has uncovered that waiting for the bill is the most frustrating part of eating out for over a third (36 per cent) of Brits.

The frustration is so great that 25 per cent would consider walking out without paying and two-thirds (65 per cent) say they would not return to a restaurant if they had to wait too long for the bill.

Taking away the need to ask, wait and pay for the bill in the restaurant, Barclaycard has partnered with Prezzo to launch Dine & Dash to make eating out even more enjoyable.

Dine & Dash works in 3 easy steps:

Restaurant staff won’t think customers have done a runner either, as the totem on the table will change colour to show successful payment. Diners can also check out in the app where they will have the option to split the bill, add a tip, apply a discount. No matter which method they use, all diners can see their bill total in real time and receive a digital receipt, so they can keep track of their spending.

This ‘just walk out’ technology will be welcome news to Brits who eat out regularly; Barclaycard’s research revealed that their longest wait-time to receive and pay the bill in restaurants is a whopping 19 minutes. Already, over half (55 per cent) predict a future where the physical bill no longer exists, and no doubt many will welcome technology which speeds up table turnover – helping them get seated even more quickly.

It’s not only customers but the restaurant industry itself calling for more technological solutions to continually improve the dining experience. Six in ten (60 per cent) restaurant owners have seen customers leave without paying so it’s no surprise that 90 per cent are interested in seeing new technology improve ways to pay.

Two in three (67 per cent) feel that paying automatically or ‘invisibly’, rather than physically, would improve customer satisfaction and 95 per cent of restauranteurs would prefer if their staff could focus on delivering good service, rather than spending time on taking payment.

Nick Kerigan, Managing Director of Future Payments at Barclaycard, said: “Eating out is something we all look forward to, yet our research shows that waiting to pay is an increasing frustration. Building on our experience in ‘invisible payments’, we wanted to create an innovative solution that removes any barriers to enjoying the meal, whilst also helping restaurants deliver great service and keep those diners coming back.

“By taking the pain out of payments, Dine & Dash is a ‘win win’ for both consumers and restaurants. We’re excited to see this solution in action as we partner with Prezzo, helping them stay at the forefront of delivering the best customer experience in the industry.”

Dave Broom, IT Director at Prezzo, said: “Finding better ways to serve our customers is at the top of the agenda for Prezzo. We believe we have found a unique opportunity with Barclaycard’s Dine & Dash solution as it makes payment simpler and quicker. We’re really looking forward to testing this exciting new technology in our restaurants.”

Dine & Dash is being trialed at the St Martins Lane Avenue Prezzo restaurant in Central London on 13 March.

The public can sign up on a first-come, first-served basis here.