Burger King Adding Smartphone Payment Option To Over 7,000 US Stores

Burger King customers in the US can soon pay for food using their mobile phones.

Fast food companies are looking for new and inventive ways to coax people back to restaurants. Instead of giving customers brand new menu items, some chains are introducing different payment options through the use of tablets and smartphones.

According to Bloomberg, the latest company to venture down this technological road is Burger King. The world’s second-largest burger-slinging institution will soon introduce a mobile phone payment option in over 7,000 locations across the US. All you need is the official Burger King app on your device to make it happen.

In addition to payment options, the aforementioned application will give loyal Burger King customers coupons for such things as fries and drinks. The website also claims folks can investigate nutrition information before selecting something tasty from the menu.

Those who wish to pay for their food using the app will need to “load value” onto their accounts. If you have enough virtual cash on-hand, paying for your Burger King meal is as simple as pushing a few buttons on your smartphone.

Of course, Burger King isn’t the only company that allows folks to enhance their fast food experience with an official app. The Inquisitr previously reported that Taco Bell entered the fray earlier this year. Although you can’t pay for your food using the software, the company will allow you to digitally place your order.

“Mobile is a huge opportunity. We’ve developed an amazing breakthrough mobile [platform] where you can order, pay and have loyalty. It’s a huge growth platform,” Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed explained last year.

Pizza Hut has also enjoyed quite a bit of success with their digital ordering system. In fact, the company’s popular Xbox 360 app proved extremely lucrative in 2013. Not only did they sell millions of dollars worth of pies through the console, they also lured new customers to the brand.

“It’s been a source of unbelievable growth for us. Just the explosion of people who wanted to download it, experiment with it, play with it with Kinect. As soon as we did one, everyone was contacting us to do the next [one],” public relations director Doug Terfehr told Polygon.

What do you think about Burger King adding mobile payment options in over 7,000 stores throughout the US? Do you think other fast food companies will begin offering a similar service down the road?

[Image via WKDQ]