The days of asking for the bill are over thanks to restaurant payment apps

High-street restaurant chain Wagamama has launched a bill-free payment app, the latest in a string of establishments turning to technology over bills.

The chain says that its new Wagamamago app will save diners an average of 12 minutes per meal as they no longer have to ask for the bill and wait to make a payment.

When diners enter the restaurant, they are supplied with a four-digit code, which they will give to their waiter to pair with the till. Mastercard, which runs the technology at the core of Wagamamago, stores the card details and takes payment automatically.

As well as ordering items from the menu, diners can also order ahead for takeout using the app.

Wagamama’s customer director, Emma Woods, said the app is about bringing “truly frictionless payments” to restaurants.

New technology heralds dine and dash

The premise of restaurant payment apps isn’t new. Fellow high street chain Wahaca has been using the technology since 2014, with its Wahaca QuickPay.

What is good about QuickPay, and is an option on Wagamamago too, is that you split the bill payments with fellow diners, taking some of the stress out of dining out.

As well, Barclaycard recently trialled its own Dine & Dash technology, offering bill-less payments at the Italian chain restaurant, Prezzo.

Customers visiting Prezzo were able to tap the Dine & Dash totem with their smartphones to check. Order food as usual from the waiting staff, and the bill will be delivered to their phones. The totem changes colour on the table to denote successful payment, so staff can ensure that the bill has been correctly paid.

According to research by Barclaycard, 36 per cent of people said waiting for the bill is the most frustrating part of eating out. As well, around 65 per cent said they would not return to a restaurant if they had to wait too long for the bill.

Yet, whilst this is better for diners, there are concerns that this advancement in payment technology could negatively affect waiters in the restaurant industry.

PwC predicts that up to 30 per cent of existing UK jobs could be impacted by automation by early 2030s, and retail is likely to be one of the worst sectors affected.

With this in mind, waiting 12 minutes for a bill doesn’t seem too much of a struggle, if it allows people to continue being employed.