Dining on demand: Barclaycard launches first ‘Dine & Dash’ restaurant

Research from Barclaycard reveals that over a third of restaurant goers (36 per cent) find waiting for the bill the most frustrating part of eating out
A quarter (25 per cent) would consider walking out without paying if the wait for the bill was too long
In response, Barclaycard has launched its new ‘Dine & Dash’ solution with high-street restaurant chain Prezzo – giving customers an ‘on-demand’ eating experience, so they can walk out as soon as they have finished eating
Customers can trial ‘Dine & Dash’ in the St Martins Lane Prezzo restaurant in Central London on 13 March

Barclaycard has developed ‘Dine & Dash’, a new solution enabling diners to simply walk out after eating – bypassing the traditional bill-paying process – which will be unveiled with a consumer trial at high-street chain Prezzo. 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:

1. Tap - tap the Dine & Dash totem with your phone to ‘check in’ at your table

2. Eat - order as usual and enjoy your meal

3. Go - just walk out after you have finished eating

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 trialled 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: https://tinyurl.com/dinedashevent.

Notes to editors

For more information, please contact Linda Yang at Barclaycard on SiyuanLinda.Yang@barclaycard.co.uk or 020 3555 5586.

The consumer research was conducted with OnePoll, surveying 2,000 adults (18+) from 07/11/2017 - 23/11/2017 who have eaten at a restaurant in the last year. Merchant research of 300 restaurant owners was conducted with OnePoll and carried out between 07/10/2017 -28/11/2017.

How Dine & Dash works:

Powered by a new Barclaycard app called ‘Dine & Dash’; users store their payment details once in the app.
Each table in a Dine & Dash restaurant will have a small totem with colour-coded lights which consumers will use to ‘check in’ to their table, via the app. The totem will flash upon check-in, indicating to diners and wait staff that the table is using Dine & Dash
Diners can leave when they have finished eating and based on proximity tracking, the Dine & Dash app will sense when they have departed from the restaurant. They will then be checked out, with payment automatically taken from their stored credentials and the totem will flash – and stay – green for an extended period of time to indicate the bill has been settled.
Diners can also check out in the app where they will have the option to split the bill, add a tip and apply a discount code. 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.

Dine & Dash builds on the ‘invisible payments’ technology Barclaycard trialled in 2017 with Grab + Go. The pilot enabled employees to turn their mobile phones into pocket checkouts to scan and pay for goods in the Barclays’ staff restaurants.

About Barclaycard

Barclaycard, part of Barclays Bank PLC, is a leading global payment business that helps consumers, retailers and businesses to make and take payments flexibly, and to access short-term credit and point-of-sale finance. In 2016 we processed over £250bn in transactions globally. Barclaycard is a pioneer of new forms of payment and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting-edge forms of payment for the future. We also partner with a wide range of organisations across the globe to offer their customers or members payment options and credit.

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About Prezzo

With over 250 Italian restaurants across the UK, from city bustle to rural retreat, there’s a Prezzo for everyone. Because we know that the right surroundings can be just as important as the food, our cosy, contemporary restaurants set the scene for every occasion. Each is individually designed and decorated to complement its location: some have waterside views whilst others boast stunning modern architecture, all full of character and history that will bring a special touch to your meal.