Wendy's Updates iOS App to Enable Mobile Payments at U.S. Locations

Sunday March 23, 2014 7:59 PM PDT by Richard Padilla
Wendy's has updated its My Wendy's app for iOS devices with the ability to take mobile payments at most of its 5,800 locations in the United States, reports The Associated Press. The fast-food restaurant chain has reportedly been developing its mobile payment system over the past year, testing its app at some of its locations throughout the country.

Once opened, the app allows users to find the nearest restaurants accepting the new mobile payment system, which can be enabled through the creation of a Wendy's profile. Unlike the process of mobile payments by other merchants however, a mobile payment at a Wendy's restaurant is processed by showing a cashier a generated six-digit number. According to Wendy's Digital Vice President Brandon Rhoten, this method was enabled to make it more convenient for customers going through pickup windows.

wendys_mobile_payment
The move reflects a push by fast-food chains to court younger customers by tapping into the attachment they have to their phones.

"If they want to come in and give us business, we want to allow them to pay the way they want to pay," Craig Bahner, chief marketing officer for Wendy's, said in a phone interview.
The move comes as a number of other restaurants have begun to implement mobile payment systems, with Chipotle, Domino's Pizza, and Pizza Hut all adding support in their respective apps. Taco Bell announced last month that it would be rolling out its mobile ordering platform nationwide later this year, with Burger King expected to follow suit with its own platform. McDonalds, the world's largest fast food chain, is also expected to launch a mobile payment system sometime in future, with testing currently underway at some of its U.S. locations.

The updated My Wendy's app for iOS devices is available now in the App Store. [Direct Link]

38 comments


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brandonrhoten
69 months ago
Brandon from Wendy's

Hey, all. Appreciate the interest in the app. On the "should have used iBeacons" or other tech front, we're testing many options including a digital offers system, ordering, and other technologies to allow people to connect with the restaurant.

The reason we're not using Passbook is they do not support dynamically generated codes at this time. Bar codes aren't 1) secure enough and 2) require you to reach your expensive smartphone out of the window at a drive-through (not ideal, in our opinion).

With 6500 locations world-wide there's a lot of trial-and-error we need to go through to figure out what works best for most.

Happy to answer any questions about our app or why we're doing what we're doing.

Thanks,
Brandon, VP of Digital at Wendy's
Rating: 14 Votes
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iBlazed
69 months ago

Somebody already has:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/la-runaway-flappy-burgers/id626093804?mt=8


I hate people.
Rating: 6 Votes
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bpbatch
69 months ago
••this post has been deleted by the author***
Rating: 5 Votes
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iBlazed
69 months ago
I seriously don't get it. How is this of any benefit whatsoever to me? I go to Wendy's, order my food, and swipe my credit card. The end. Why in hell do I need an app for every restaurant I patronize that basically serves as a prepaid gift card? How is this good or innovative in any way? I'm all for innovation, but I just don't see it here. Maybe I'm completely missing something, but I'm just not willing to basically buy prepaid gift cards in the form of mobile apps for every restaurant.

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This kind of innovation is great news for consumers and the kind you only get from iOS devices.


Please, explain to me how this is innovation? It's a gift card in the form of an app, that's all it is. How is it innovative???
Rating: 4 Votes
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japanime
69 months ago

Haha. Don't actually say that, someone might actually do it.


Somebody already has:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/la-runaway-flappy-burgers/id626093804?mt=8
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
bikeoid
69 months ago

Yep, it needs to be funded from one source, I assume/hope that will eventually be your iTunes account balance. Retaining and managing small balances on a dozen different cards is a pain, and will stifle uptake.


They had to find a way around Apple taking 30% of all in-app purchases.
Rating: 3 Votes
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yodali
69 months ago
Haha. Flappy Burgers.

I see Flappy Burgers in the app store in the near future! LOL


Haha. Don't actually say that, someone might actually do it.
Rating: 2 Votes
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peterh988
69 months ago

I feel like this is becoming more and more entrenched as we get more and more applications to do the payments...

This is what Passbook was meant to solve, and I still don't see why it didn't catch on.

The best way to do this would be to either have a unified payment system or find a way to round up all of the payment systems into one method (i.e. Passbook).


Yep, it needs to be funded from one source, I assume/hope that will eventually be your iTunes account balance. Retaining and managing small balances on a dozen different cards is a pain, and will stifle uptake.
Rating: 2 Votes
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RobertMartens
69 months ago

We will also need some universal way to place orders so that I do not have to clutter my phone with apps for every food establishment that I visit.


I think you are exaggerating the problem of multiple restaurant apps. Just put them all in one folder.
Rating: 2 Votes
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larrylaffer
69 months ago

Agreed, great push forward with mobile payments, but that doesn't make Apple the king of payment innovation. What about all those Bitcoin wallet apps they decided to ban?


Monopoly money doesn't count.
Rating: 2 Votes
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