Could cash disappear? Over the years the use of cash has been decreasing considerably, which has caused a growth in the pace of digital payments that,  According to a study carried out by Juniper Research, it is estimated that by 2024 they will have an increase of 300%. 

If you want to know what contactless payments are and how to implement them in your restaurant, keep reading.Here we tell you!

 Current financial and business trends suggest that cash is being used less and less, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, in which the decrease in unnecessary contact with other people or devices prompted consumers to seek new ones. ways to carry out your transactions to avoid contagion, so your restaurant cannot be left behind with this new technology.  

It may interest you: What technology should be in a restaurant after Covid 19?

What are contactless payments?

Contactless payments or "payments contactless'' son a way to make payments in establishments in person but avoiding the use of cash and physical interaction with any device other than us.   

Due to their ease, these payment methods are more convenient for both consumers and establishments since in many of the current methods it is not necessary to provide a PIN or signature and the technology for this type of payments is constantly growing and improving, as well as being very secure.

How to implement contactless payments in my restaurant?

Now that you have a general idea about what contactless payments are, the next step is to implement them in your restaurant and for that in this article we will show you some of the options available in the market as well as their advantages and disadvantages to help you make the best decision for your business and benefit instantly by improving the quality and efficiency of your service. 

1. Payments with QR codes. 

This is the form of payment which requires less contact and one of the fastest and safest to pay and what through QR technology (quick answer) it is not necessary to use cards or cash. 

The process is very simple: The code is generated by the establishment's smartphone or tablet and customers only have to scan it with their phone's camera from the application of their trusted bank to be able to access. 

These are some of the options available in the market to receive payments through QR codes: 

CoDi®

code® is the platform designed by Banco de México what uses QR technology to carry out transactions from any smartphone with internet access in a fast, safe and efficient way, one of its most outstanding advantages is that it does not generate commissions for any of the transactions. 

It may interest you: Soft Restaurant boosts restaurant reactivation with the use of CoDi 

Paid market

This platform was created by Mercado Libre and it is a virtual wallet in which users manage their cards and deposit their cash. Mercado Pago allows your clients to pay you through links or QR codes by means of money in the payment market, credit market or with a debit card without commissions or extra procedures. 

In order to use this method, it is necessary to have a payment market account for sellers and configure the QR code that must be printed so that customers can scan and access the application to enter the payment amount. 

• Advantages: Debit card payments have no cost for either party, customer or company.  
• Disadvantages: Devices have to be connected to Wi-Fi networks in order to carry out transactions. 

2. Contactless payments (RFID) 

RFID tags work using short-range radio frequency waves that allow transactions to be carried out by simply bringing the devices closer together. This payment method is very common in Europe and is beginning to grow in some Latin American countries. 

• Advantages: The card never leaves the customer's hand, which generates confidence in your business, also maintains the security level of chip cards, so fraud or cloning is unlikely. 
• Disadvantages: Currently it is one of the least used to make payments and In order to use this payment method, it is necessary to have special reading devices. 

NFC technology

Based on RFID technology, the NFC system allows you to charge without contact since the customer only has to bring a card to the sales terminal. This system works using short-range wireless technology that facilitates instant data transmission between both devices. 

It is usually used in bank cards, however, thanks to advances in technology It is also possible to make these payments through a smartphone, working in the same way and with the same security. 

• Advantage: Transactions are faster, which helps improve the quality of your service.  
• Disadvantage: the customer still has to enter their PIN at the terminal and both devices need to have integrated NFC technology. 

Online payments

Also called electronic payments, they are a payment system that facilitates the acceptance of payments and online transactions through the internet and is currently a fundamental piece in electronic commerce since it is a simple, inexpensive distribution channel that works 24 hours a day.  

Some examples of this electronic payment method are virtual payment gateways or POS for card payments, electronic wallets and systems that connect directly to users' electronic banking. 

This system is a great help for making sales online! Giving you and your clients a safe and efficient way to sell and buy. 

Paypal

Like Mercado Pago, PayPal It is a virtual wallet in which users register their cards and allow them to make online payments without the need to register any personal or bank data, the difference is that it does not use a QR code to make the payment. 

Shieldgate by AFFIRM 

 Shieldgate is an online collection platform with credit, debit cards or payment links created by AFIRME, a multiple banking institution, and that also has Kount, a state-of-the-art fraud prevention module. It is used for electronic commerce, delivered o pickup. 

It may interest you: Afirme and Soft Restaurant sign an agreement to support e-commerce in restaurants

• Advantage: you can use it to make your payments over the Internet without having to enter your bank details. 
• Disadvantage: it is not cash for payments directly at the restaurant. 

Start accepting contact-free payments at your restaurant!

Advances in technology will allow you to have a simpler financial administration in your restaurant and now that you know everything about contactless payment technology, do not hesitate to start using it and make your transactions a faster, easier and more secure process.

By using restaurant software such as Soft Restaurant® 10, these transactions become even easier and safer since they are protected by multiple security systems that not only avoid unnecessary contact, but also ensure the data of each transaction.