Square Unveils QR-Code Based Ordering For Eateries

Square has unveiled a quick-response (QR) code-based self-service ordering functionality for eateries harnessing Square Online.

The feature lets customers make orders through their mobile devices, steering clear of unnecessary physical contact with staff at no further charge to the company, according to an announcement.

Square Online sellers in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia can now use the self-serve ordering feature.

Diners visiting an eatery can scan a QR code with their own device and make an order through the mobile-optimized ordering page of the merchant. After the customer finishes his or her order, it is received at the merchant’s point of sale and transmitted to its kitchen printers as if a server entered the order.

A food runner seeks the table identifier on the order ticket and brings out the food at the time an order is ready.

Square said that self-service ordering can enhance table turn times and decrease labor costs.

“The feature can also improve order accuracy when customers are in control of the ordering process since no requests are lost in a game of telephone between the customer and the point of sale,” according to the announcement.

Square also noted that self-serve ordering lets merchants ingest diner information on sales as well as have more in-depth relationships with buyers via Square Marketing and Square Loyalty.

In separate news, Square unveiled the rollout of two new functions in mid-September that the firm says will make payroll easier for companies and workers.

The new “Instant Payments” feature lets companies fund payroll in nearly real time, getting rid of the delay between when funds depart an employer’s account and when the funds come into workers’ accounts.

In addition, Square had debuted its “On-Demand Pay” service to provide workers with quicker access to wages than they usually have had under electronic payment configurations.