Whataburger to offer MasterCard contactless payment option

MasterCard Worldwide announced that the quick-service restaurant chain Whataburger will accept MasterCard PayPass contactless payments at more than 500 locations across southern United States.

Whataburger operates locations in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The restaurants will be equipped to accept the contactless payment system by September.

“For our regular hometown customers and the frequent road-trippers that come through our doors, MasterCard PayPass provides a faster and more convenient way to pay for their meals,” said Karen Bird, CIO, Whataburger. “We continually look for innovative ways to enhance our customers’ dining experience, whether by expanding our menu choices, or, in this case, providing greater flexibility at the point of sale.”

To enable PayPass acceptance, Whataburger restaurants are being deployed with Vivotech 4500M and DTc readers, integrated devices designed to accept PayPass contactless payments, as well as traditional, magnetic-stripe payment cards at the counter and at the drive-through. Customers simply tap their PayPass-enabled MasterCard card or device on the reader to make a purchase, eliminating the need to hand their card over to a cashier or fumble for cash. MasterCard PayPass also does not require customers to sign receipts for purchases under $25, further speeding up the transaction.

Growing usage and acceptance of contactless payments, including in small-ticket environments that are typically dominated by cash, reflect the growing consumer preference for electronic payments over cash for everyday purchases. According to MasterCard research, about 94% of PayPass-using respondents to a 2008 MasterCard PayPass Benchmark Study were satisfied with their experience, and 77% of consumers who have a PayPass-enabled card use it as their primary form of payment.