Wasabi trials contactless payment system
Sushi firm Wasabi has announced that it is the first restaurant chain in the UK to pilot a fully integrated contactless payment system. Customers can now make payments in less than half a second at the Japanese restaurant chain, which previously operated on a cash-only basis.
The new payment system allows Wasabi to offer its customers a fast and convenient ‘wave and pay’ method of payment on all transactions of £10 and under.
On average, around 7,500 people per week visit Wasabi on Oxford Street, with an average spend of £8.00, so the restaurant is “ideally positioned to benefit from the technology”. Cardholders simply need to touch their card against the reader instead of entering a PIN or signing.
The secure new technology enables faster transaction times and shorter queues at the point of sale. A total of 16 terminals are being trialled for four weeks in two of Wasabi’s busiest locations, Canary Wharf and Oxford Street.
Lester Sharpe, Operations Manager for Wasabi said: “Wasabi is all about uniqueness. Uniqueness of product, design and shop layout, and for the time being at least this is another unique aspect of our brand. The key aspect here was not so much being the first but having a reliable, effective solution which would give us an advantage over other prime food retailers.”
“All of our outlets are situated in prime, heavy footfall locations and consequently the need for a fast, smooth running solution was paramount. The feedback from both shop staff and customers has been very positive and already we are planning on extending the Contactless solution to at least four more high profile sites. We have already seen a 24% increase in credit card payments.”
It is predicted that by the end of 2011, 70% of debit cards and 45% of credit cards are expected to be contactless-enabled in the UK.
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