McDonald’s leads the way into contactless

McDonald’s sets the standard for technology in the restaurant industry. The list of innovations the company brought is long, and that innovative spirit is a big reason why McDonald’s remains the leader in the quick-serve world.

Even before the pandemic hit, McDonald’s had developed a strong mobile ordering process through its Order & Pay mobile app that acted as a great launching point as the company moved into a contactless future. Better than most companies, McDonald’s knows that a contactless dining experience is key to alleviating consumer fears of returning to restaurants.

The McDonald’s app leverages the brand’s existing drive-thru operations as well as mobile payment options to ensure guests feel safe about dining with McDonald’s. The restaurant trade publication Nation’s Restaurant News reports these findings from a recent survey from AlixPartners in an article “Off-premise: The rise of contactless ordering and curbside pickup amid COVID-19 offer keys to survival”:

• “43% of consumers said drive-thru is the most preferred method for ordering restaurant food during the pandemic.
• “Takeout and curbside pickup is preferred by 33%. Third-party delivery was the least popular, as most say they’d rather order directly from a chain.”

Available for download at the AppStore and GooglePay, McDonald’s Order & Pay provides customers with a contactless experience for both Drive-Thru and Curbside pickup. Once the Order & Pay App has been downloaded and the guest is registered with the program, the app uses geolocation technology to help identify a participating restaurant nearby.

McDonald’s Order & Pay is as easy as one-two-three.

Order – Guests can select items a la carte from the McDonald’s menu or select from exclusive deals, then simply click on the “Add Deal to Mobile Order” button, which enables them to add multiple items to a single order.

Pay – The app connects with any major credit card, but the card is not charged until the guest checks in to pick up the order. Payment cards can be added or removed via “Checkout” and “My Account” screens.

Pickup – The guest then checks into any participating McDonald’s restaurant and either picks up their meal in-store, at the Drive-Thru, or has it delivered curbside.

What’s more, McDonald’s Order & Pay is synchronized with McCafé®Rewards so guests accrue rewards for any beverages purchased within a mobile order.

McDonald’s takes the safety of its employees and customers seriously. In compliance with state and local health guidelines, the brand enforces facility cleanliness, personal hygiene and social distancing practices. The new Order & Delivery App takes the brand’s concern for its guests a giant step further by enabling a contactless dining experience.

It’s no longer enough to for brands to deliver a fast, frictionless customer experience. Amidst a global pandemic, they also need to make customer safety a priority. As QSR magazine states in the article, “Restaurants Need to Go Contactless Now. Here’s Why’:

“‘Contactless’ protocols are now expected to cross the entire customer journey from online ordering and payment to on-site processing to order pickup. It has become vital for restaurants to move to the only ‘contactless’ customer experience they can control: mobile order ahead paired with customer pick up on-premise or curbside.”

McDonald’s is leading the way in delivering an innovative customer experience. Now it’s time for the rest of the industry to just follow their lead and learn from their success.