Many Canadians would prefer restaurants allow them to pay through their phone, as opposed to through a server: survey

By

Published May 20, 2021 at 6:21 pm

restaurants

Now that Ontario has opened vaccines up to all adult residents, many are starting to look to the future when restrictions will be eased, and certain activities will once again be permitted.

One that many are looking forward to is the return to dining at restaurants. However, some hope the option of paying digitally could continue post pandemic.

A recent survey by Clover from Fiserv, 57 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 would prefer to be able to order and pay from their table using their phone, rather than through a server.

Additionally, 35 per cent of those between the ages of 35 and 54 agree with this sentiment, and 31 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds and 10 per cent of 35- to 54-year-olds said they would be more likely to frequent a restaurant that offers this as a payment option.

As well, based on the findings, since the start of the pandemic, many Canadians have increased the frequency with which they order takeout.

Previously, 51 per cent of Canadians ordered take out one to two times per month. However, since the onset of the pandemic, 52 per cent of Canadians said they have been ordering takeout one to two times per week, with 11 per cent reporting ordering takeout three times or more per week.

The number of younger Canadians, ages 18 to 34, ordering takeout frequently is even higher—19 per cent admitted to ordering takeout three or more times per week.

It appears ordering takeout is likely to continue at least for the rest of this year, as 24 per cent of respondents said they would choose to order takeout over dining at a restaurant in 2021.

“The story of dining in Canada in 2021 is all about digital and delivery,” Brian Green, country head for Canada at Fiserv, said in a news release.

“Through the Clover platform we’re enabling restaurants to provide customers digital engagement options for ordering and payment – whether that means online ordering for delivery or curbside pickup, scanning a QR code to order and pay in-app, or enabling touch-free payments at the table,” he continued.

insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising