Reimagining Restaurant Payments: A Seamless QR-Driven Experience
Background
Traditional payment methods slow service and frustrate guests. We saw an opportunity to modernize the process for full-service restaurants.
Overview
We designed a mobile-first, app-free payment solution that let diners pay by scanning a QR code—no downloads, no wait. This streamlined checkout cut staff workload, sped up service, and improved guest satisfaction. The result: faster table turnover, more tips, and a measurable lift in revenue and review scores.
Pay at Table
Problem
Slow Payments, Frustrated Guests
Confusing Payment Flow
The old checkout was crowded, overwhelming, and easy to miss. Guests didn’t know where to tap—or how to finish.
Lack of Engagement
Without perks or feedback loops, most users paid and left. There was nothing to draw them into the product again.
Low Account Creation Rates
Account creation was buried, and most guests skipped it. This meant lost opportunities for loyalty and re-engagement.
Solution
A Smarter Way to Pay
Clearer Bill & Payment Options
We redesigned the bill screen to display the entire check upfront, with a floating footer that included clear options to split or pay the full amount. This ensured users never had to scroll to find core actions. Tips were added in the next step with a clean, familiar UI. The final success screen, now visually celebratory and confirmation-focused, tested 70% higher in satisfaction compared to the old version.
Simpler Step-by-Step Flow
Users consistently preferred a paginated, guided payment experience over the previous single-page scroll. Breaking down the process into clear steps — view bill → select tip → choose split/full payment → confirm — made it significantly easier to follow. This structure reduced cognitive overload and led to fewer drop-offs and user errors during testing.
Gamification Boosted Engagement
To encourage ongoing interaction, we introduced light gamification, allowing users to earn points for actions like leaving a review or rating the experience. Feedback showed this made the app feel more engaging and rewarding. These points could be redeemed for discounts or perks, driving both repeat usage and word-of-mouth referrals.
Rewards Drove Sign-Ups
Account creation was previously a low-conversion point. Once we added a clear reward system — points earned after payment, redeemable for future discounts — we saw account creation jump from 35% to 55%. This validated that users are more likely to create accounts when there’s a tangible, immediate benefit tied to the action.
Research
Insights that Shaped a Frictionless Payment Flow
Observed Friction in the Field
To understand what was slowing down payments, we observed dozens of guest-server interactions across multiple restaurants. We noticed hesitation, repeated questions, and confusion at checkout—especially when guests were unsure how to split bills, leave a tip, or confirm payment.
Tested, Iterated, and Simplified
We paired these insights with A/B testing of flow structures and in-service prototypes. The most effective version broke checkout into smaller, clearer steps. In post-test surveys, 3 out of 4 guests said the new experience felt “faster” and “more trustworthy.” Staff also reported fewer payment-related interruptions.
New Flow:
2× Faster
Users completed the new version twice as fast as the original layout.
12 Main Observations
Uncovered 12 key confusion points and guest drop-off behavior through testing.
“Easier Than Expected”
Guests described the new checkout as smoother, clearer, and more professional.
Outcome
Rapid Adoption
Within the first month, 80% of diners adopted the Pay at Table feature, reducing average transaction times by 60%, which allowed for faster table turnover and more efficient operations.
Stronger Engagement
The introduction of a rewards system led to 75% of users creating accounts to redeem points, up from just 35% previously. This incentivized engagement and encouraged long-term loyalty from customers.
Boosted Revenue
The streamlined payment process resulted in up to 10% more tips and increased overall revenue for restaurants. Additionally, the quicker payments and improved experience led to a 5x increase in positive Google reviews, boosting the restaurants' online reputation.
Reimagining Restaurant Payments: A Seamless QR-Driven Experience
Background
Traditional payment methods slow service and frustrate guests. We saw an opportunity to modernize the process for full-service restaurants.
Overview
We designed a mobile-first, app-free payment solution that let diners pay by scanning a QR code—no downloads, no wait. This streamlined checkout cut staff workload, sped up service, and improved guest satisfaction. The result: faster table turnover, more tips, and a measurable lift in revenue and review scores.
Pay at Table
Problem
Slow Payments, Frustrated Guests
Confusing Payment Flow
The old checkout was crowded, overwhelming, and easy to miss. Guests didn’t know where to tap—or how to finish.
Lack of Engagement
Without perks or feedback loops, most users paid and left. There was nothing to draw them into the product again.
Low Account Creation Rates
Account creation was buried, and most guests skipped it. This meant lost opportunities for loyalty and re-engagement.
Solution
A Smarter Way to Pay
Clearer Bill & Payment Options
We redesigned the bill screen to display the entire check upfront, with a floating footer that included clear options to split or pay the full amount. This ensured users never had to scroll to find core actions. Tips were added in the next step with a clean, familiar UI. The final success screen, now visually celebratory and confirmation-focused, tested 70% higher in satisfaction compared to the old version.
Simpler Step-by-Step Flow
Users consistently preferred a paginated, guided payment experience over the previous single-page scroll. Breaking down the process into clear steps — view bill → select tip → choose split/full payment → confirm — made it significantly easier to follow. This structure reduced cognitive overload and led to fewer drop-offs and user errors during testing.
Gamification Boosted Engagement
To encourage ongoing interaction, we introduced light gamification, allowing users to earn points for actions like leaving a review or rating the experience. Feedback showed this made the app feel more engaging and rewarding. These points could be redeemed for discounts or perks, driving both repeat usage and word-of-mouth referrals.
Rewards Drove Sign-Ups
Account creation was previously a low-conversion point. Once we added a clear reward system — points earned after payment, redeemable for future discounts — we saw account creation jump from 35% to 55%. This validated that users are more likely to create accounts when there’s a tangible, immediate benefit tied to the action.
Research
Insights that Shaped a Frictionless Payment Flow
New Flow:
2× Faster
Users completed the new version twice as fast as the original layout.
12 Main Observations
Uncovered 12 key confusion points and guest drop-off behavior through testing.
“Easier Than Expected”
Guests described the new checkout as smoother, clearer, and more professional.
Observed Friction in the Field
To understand what was slowing down payments, we observed dozens of guest-server interactions across multiple restaurants. We noticed hesitation, repeated questions, and confusion at checkout—especially when guests were unsure how to split bills, leave a tip, or confirm payment.
Tested, Iterated, and Simplified
We paired these insights with A/B testing of flow structures and in-service prototypes. The most effective version broke checkout into smaller, clearer steps. In post-test surveys, 3 out of 4 guests said the new experience felt “faster” and “more trustworthy.” Staff also reported fewer payment-related interruptions.
Outcome
Seamless Payments That Boost Revenue
Rapid Adoption
Within the first month, 80% of diners adopted the Pay at Table feature, reducing average transaction times by 60%, which allowed for faster table turnover and more efficient operations.
Stronger Engagement
The introduction of a rewards system led to 75% of users creating accounts to redeem points, up from just 35% previously. This incentivized engagement and encouraged long-term loyalty from customers.
Boosted Revenue
The streamlined payment process resulted in up to 10% more tips and increased overall revenue for restaurants. Additionally, the quicker payments and improved experience led to a 5x increase in positive Google reviews, boosting the restaurants' online reputation.
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