In recent years, the hospitality industry has welcomed many innovations that have enhanced the guest experience, including contactless check-in desks, point-of-sale (POS) systems, QR code menus, chatbots, and online booking systems.
As 2025 begins, restaurant, bar, hotel, spa, and takeaway owners can expect QR code payments to be the next innovation to reach the industry – thanks to a range of advantages for both hospitality businesses and their guests.
This article will explore QR code payments and the four advantages of using them in the hospitality industry.
What Are QR Code Payments?
A Quick Response (QR) code contains horizontal lines, vertical lines, patterns, and dots – unlike a traditional barcode, which only contains horizontal lines.
(Image Source: Dhiway)
QR codes were initially created in the 1990s to track automotive parts during manufacturing.
However, the QR codes we know today have a variety of uses and applications, most commonly the ability to facilitate contactless and fast payments directly from a user’s smartphone.
To make a QR code payment, a guest uses their phone to scan a QR code on another screen, a board, or a piece of paper. This will open a link in the phone’s browser, allowing the consumer to submit their payment using digital methods such as debit or credit cards and mobile wallets such as ApplePay and GooglePay.
Advantages Of QR Code Payments In The Hospitality Industry
QR code payments differ from QR code menus, which allow guests to access a digital menu, often with prices and pictures. Sometimes, QR code menus also enable guests to order and pay.
Despite the many benefits of QR code menus, this article will specifically explore the advantages of QR code payments for hospitality businesses and guests.
Improved speed of service
While providing guests with an enjoyable and memorable experience is essential, they also expect quick service, especially in restaurants, bars, and takeaways.
Your restaurant, bar, or takeaway could have QR codes placed on the table, which allow customers to enter their table number and pay. Additionally, your staff could hand your customers a personalized receipt with a QR code, taking them directly to the payment for their table.
Both of the options above can dramatically improve the speed of service because there will be no queue of customers waiting to pay at your hospitality POS, which allows your employees to focus on serving food to guests and enhancing their experience.
QR code payments can also reduce employee stress and pressure, as your employees will feel less rushed. With less pressure on them, it will be easier to retain employees, which means you could avoid the cost of hiring and training new staff.
Enhanced hygiene
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless payment methods became a priority for most consumers who were more reluctant to handle cash and engage in unnecessary contact with employees or card machines.
Now, QR code payments remain a hygienic way to pay without diminishing the guest experience.
Improved guest experience
An excellent way to improve the overall experience for guests is to ensure they have a flexible and easy payment experience.
Debit cards are the most common online payment method in the US. However, hospitality businesses should also allow guests to pay via mobile wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. The best way to do this is to introduce QR code payments.
In addition, if you aim to target international guests, consider offering localized payment options, like WeChat and Alipay for Chinese guests.
A great guest experience also benefits hospitality businesses by increasing the likelihood of repeat customers and word-of-mouth marketing.
Better access to customer feedback
If your guests use their phones to make a QR code payment, it would be an excellent opportunity to ask them to complete a digital feedback form. The convenience of using their smartphone makes it much more likely a customer will provide feedback that you can use to improve your operations.
Customer feedback can assist you with marketing campaigns, help to improve your services to offer a better guest experience, and improve food or drink quality if guests aren’t satisfied.
In addition, on the ‘thank you for your payment’ page, you could include links to your social media pages to boost your following.
Will You Introduce QR Code Payments In 2025?
91% of Americans own a smartphone, meaning the chance of a guest entering your business without the ability to use a QR code is slim. This statistic and the four advantages explored above make QR code payments an innovation you should consider introducing in 2025.
Over to you
The hotel industry is always changing, especially during a time of crisis. Make sure to future-proof your business and continue attracting new guests by investing in these solutions.
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Related article: The Genesis of AI in Hospitality: A Prelude to Personalization
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