Offering several payment methods at your restaurant is essential to providing a good customer experience. With so many options available, consumers expect to be able to choose the one that's most practical and convenient at that moment.
At the same time, the business needs to consider what the operating costs are, evaluate the fees and make the best choices for the financial health of the business.
To get to know the main payment methods used in restaurants and bars and understand the importance of offering a variety of options to customers, keep reading this article!
Why is it important to offer varied payment methods?
Offering different payment methods isn't just convenient, it's also a smart strategy for meeting customer preferences and achieving greater operational efficiency.
With advances in technology, new options have emerged to make payment easier, faster and safer. Consumer behavior has changed too and, now, the trend is for cash to no longer be used — what's known as going cashless.
Given that context, you need to consider the different customer profiles and provide payment methods that cover each of them: from the person who still prefers to pay with cash to those who only use digital wallets, for example.
On top of that, you also need to think about your operating model and service capacity to avoid inconveniencing customers at payment time. Nobody likes waiting in line at the cashier, or having their card declined. That's why it's important to have a range of alternatives.
Finally, smart management also takes payment-related costs into account. You need to choose the best card machines, look for good rates and, in doing so, save money.
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What are the most common payment methods in restaurants?
When choosing the payment methods for your restaurant, it's important to know all the available technologies and stay up to date, keeping track of the changes and trends in your customers' consumption behavior.
See below what the most common payment methods in restaurants and bars are.
PIX
This is an instant transfer method that has gained prominence in recent years for its convenience. Currently, Pix is the payment method most used by Brazilians, according to the Central Bank.
So enabling payment by PIX has already become indispensable for giving customers greater convenience. Restaurants, in turn, need to find the best way to receive those amounts with a competitive fee.
EPOC has a Conta PIX that makes this type of payment easier. With it, the pre-bill on the POS comes with the Pix QR Code and Copy & Paste code so the customer can complete the transaction with ease.
Credit and debit card
Accepting payment by credit and debit card is also essential for any commercial business, and restaurants and bars are no different.
For that, you need to choose the best card machine, considering the fees, card brands, mobility, connectivity and other aspects.
This payment method is advantageous because it's more secure and lets you automate processes, such as the cash register closeout.
To provide even more convenience and speed, it's also important to have contactless payment, which is already quite popular and is available on most card machines.
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Meal or food vouchers
Accepting benefit cards, such as meal and food vouchers, is also essential for restaurants, especially for those located near corporate hubs that serve this type of customer.
Survey your customers to find out which benefit cards they use and look for card machines that accept those cards
QR Code
Another quite practical payment option is the QR Code. It can direct to Pix or to a payment link. That way, you just scan the code with your phone's camera to pay quickly.
This is a good option for giving customers more autonomy and reducing lines to pay.
Digital wallets
Payment by digital wallets is also becoming popular and is a way to meet the demand of customers who like technology and convenience. They make it possible to pay using only a phone, without the customer having to open their banking app, use a credit card or cash.
With EPOC GO, our self-service solution on the customer's own smartphone, payment can be made using Apple Pay and Google Wallet. That way, the customer has complete freedom to place the order and pay without having to wait to be served.
WhatsApp Pay
WhatsApp offers the possibility of payment directly in the app itself, which can be very useful for restaurants that handle delivery through this channel, for example.
This gives customers greater convenience, placing their order and paying right in the chat, without having to open other apps.
Cash
Finally, good old cash is still a must. After all, some people prefer to pay this way, unexpected situations may keep them from paying any other way and, although unlikely, the other options can become unavailable at some point.
Discover EPOC's solutions and make paying easier
If you want maximum efficiency in your operation and the best possible experience for your customers, be sure to take a look at EPOC's solutions.
Our PDV integrates with the leading card machines on the market, and we also have a PIX Digital Account. That way, you can offer several payment options with convenience, security and savings.
In addition, with EPOC GO your customer has the freedom to place the order and pay using their own smartphone, via PIX, credit card or Google and Apple digital wallets.
To find out how it works in practice, Schedule a free demonstration now!
