Mobile payments are on the rise. Google has been working with companies for years, and with Apple Pay turning more consumers on to the idea, new opportunities to swipe your phone at a register or pay in advance are popping up left and right.
Now Google has partnered with ChowNow to bring Wallet to thousands of independent restaurants across the US. As of today, restaurants have updated their mobile apps to include Wallet as an additional option at checkout. Future businesses that work with ChowNow will offer integration from the beginning.
The move will hopefully serve as a win-win for everyone involved. Customers won't have to manually tap their credit card information into each app, increasing the likelihood that they will use the app, which in turn makes it more likely that they will give a restaurant extra business. Visitors get more convenience, and restaurants get greater profit.
Again, the eateries that partner with ChowNow are on the smaller side, local establishments that probably won't ring a bell if you don't live nearby. Some of the clients listed on ChowNow's website include Homeroom Mac & Cheese in Oakland and Pizzeria Serio in Chicago. A joint near you may now accept Google Wallet as well.
PRESS RELEASE
Google Partners With ChowNow To Bring Google Wallet To Thousands Of Independent Restaurants
The addition of Google Wallet makes mobile ordering easier than ever for customers and restaurant owners
LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- ChowNow, the online ordering and marketing platform for restaurants, is proud to announce a new partnership with Google that brings Google Wallet to thousands of independent restaurants across the United States. As of today all ChowNow restaurant clients' ordering apps have been updated to include Google Wallet at no additional cost, and all new restaurant clients will receive it as a standard feature.
"We continue to uphold our mission of helping independent restaurants compete with larger chains by providing them with technology that would be both difficult and cost-prohibitive for them to build themselves," said Chris Webb, CEO of ChowNow.
The addition of Google Wallet benefits both restaurants and their customers. Rather than manually inputting their credit card number and billing address, customers with an Android phone can simply tap the "Buy with Google" button. As a result of the added convenience and reduced ordering times, restaurants should see increased order volumes, and hence a more profitable to-go business. With 70 million Android phones currently in use the addition of Google Wallet has broad appeal.
"In addition to increased convenience, Google Wallet also offers an extra layer of security to both consumers and restaurants," says Webb. With Google Wallet Fraud Protection 100% of verified unauthorized Google Wallet transactions in the US are covered. "At ChowNow we pride ourselves in strengthening the relationship between our restaurant clients and their customers, and now that relationship is stronger and more secure than ever. This partnership is a win for everyone involved."
For more information on ChowNow, please visit: ChowNow.com
For more information on Google Wallet, please visit: Google.com/Wallet
