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McDonald’s could be about to let smartphone owners order and pay for their food directly from their devices.
According to a report from Business Insider, the technology that will enable mobile ordering and payment from a customer’s phone could begin to be rolled out in the US and the UK next year.
Other big name chains – including Starbucks – are already using similar technology to enable customers to skip the queues.
McDonald’s chief Steve Easterbrook has spoken of using mobile ordering in the past, suggesting the firm’s official app could become a mobile ordering hub, with geo-location technology added so that the store is notified when you walk in to collect it.
Though it has been suggested by some analysts that McDonald’s has been slow to embrace this sort of technology, the food chain has been steadily introducing digital kiosks in some stores that enable customers to order their food without going up to the counter.
However it would be significantly cheaper to switch to mobile ordering, according to Business Insider, which says that currently the kiosks cost around $125,000 (£100,000) to install each time.
In contrast, updating the mobile app would likely cost a lot less in the short term, and likely prove more of a money-spinner with those craving a Big Mac in the long term.
