Tabletop tablets in chain restaurants

[storewanderer]

Earlier this week I had dinner at my local Red Lobster, and noticed that these tablet things were completely gone from the restaurant. They really seemed out of place at Red Lobster as they took up space and were distracting while eating. I am glad they are gone.

I think more places are going to a scan QR code on receipt to pay, rather than the tablets.

Why wireless terminals aren't the standard here like they are in most foreign countries remains a mystery.

Restaurants are the only place where you still have to screw around signing a slip.

Many of the casinos have gone to wireless tablets or with pay at cashier they have an "input tip" screen so you do not have to sign and add the total up on the paper slip.

[Brian Lutz]

At the restaurants I visit regularly it seems like Olive Garden, Texas Roadhouse and Red Robin are still using the Ziosk tablets, and aside from refreshed hardware I don't think the user experience has really changed much since they appeared nearly 10 years ago. I did notice that the Utah (Sizzling Platter) Red Robins I went to when we were there temporarily last year do not use these, with all payments still being handled by the servers there. If I recall correctly Applebee's and Buffalo Wild Wings used a different brand of tabletop tablet the last time I went to one, but I don't think I've been to either of these since before COVID.

A lot of restaurants around here (mostly small chains and operators with 1-2 locations) have moved to various pay-by-phone solutions, but I think that's probably a topic for another thread.

[ClownLoach]

Earlier this week I had dinner at my local Red Lobster, and noticed that these tablet things were completely gone from the restaurant. They really seemed out of place at Red Lobster as they took up space and were distracting while eating. I am glad they are gone.

I think more places are going to a scan QR code on receipt to pay, rather than the tablets.

Nope, not at all. Losses were massive on these. Several chain restaurants I visited have eliminated the QR code due to fraud. What would happen is twofold.

First, there were people applying fake QR codes to the tabletop stickers at restaurants that used those and they would connect to a similarly themed website that would collect payments. It might have some sort of information gathering process such as asking the customer to input the total and some bogus number off the receipt but it was basically stealing the card info and charging the customer then the restaurant is not paid.

Second, for the ones that used the on receipt QR code, many people would go through the motions when the server came by but never completed the process and they'd just wave and point to their phone. By the time the server discovered the check wasn't paid they were long gone. Or they would use a old screen shot or other such thing and show it to the server.

The wireless payment devices are the answer and I'm noticing the restaurants that got rid of the QR stickers or receipts have switched to them. I am also seeing the Ziosk type devices at places like Chili's or the various Darden owned restaurants but they no longer leave them on your table, they just bring one and drop it off with your check at the end of the meal.

QR code fraud is incredible. I have seen fake QR codes all over parking garages in LA, San Diego and elsewhere. They put a fake QR over the real one on the sign that tells you to "scan to pay" and once again you're pointed to a fraudulent website that both steals your card info and charges you. Then you come back to a ticketed, booted or worse towed car. San Francisco had a news story last year where people were printing counterfeit parking tickets and placing them on cars, and they of course had a QR code that sent you to a website that looked identical to the City payment site but was a fake. Credit card invoice would say City of SF and then you find your card being charged all over the planet overnight.

QR codes are a GIGANTIC security disaster and nobody should EVER use one for anything that is related to payments. The only exception being situations like Sam's Club gas pumps where a custom image is displayed on the screen that only can be read by their App for payment. Otherwise if it is a printed QR code you should never use it to pay anyone for anything.

[storewanderer]

Earlier this week I had dinner at my local Red Lobster, and noticed that these tablet things were completely gone from the restaurant. They really seemed out of place at Red Lobster as they took up space and were distracting while eating. I am glad they are gone.

I think more places are going to a scan QR code on receipt to pay, rather than the tablets.

Nope, not at all. Losses were massive on these. Several chain restaurants I visited have eliminated the QR code due to fraud. What would happen is twofold.

First, there were people applying fake QR codes to the tabletop stickers at restaurants that used those and they would connect to a similarly themed website that would collect payments. It might have some sort of information gathering process such as asking the customer to input the total and some bogus number off the receipt but it was basically stealing the card info and charging the customer then the restaurant is not paid.

Second, for the ones that used the on receipt QR code, many people would go through the motions when the server came by but never completed the process and they'd just wave and point to their phone. By the time the server discovered the check wasn't paid they were long gone. Or they would use a old screen shot or other such thing and show it to the server.

The wireless payment devices are the answer and I'm noticing the restaurants that got rid of the QR stickers or receipts have switched to them. I am also seeing the Ziosk type devices at places like Chili's or the various Darden owned restaurants but they no longer leave them on your table, they just bring one and drop it off with your check at the end of the meal.

QR code fraud is incredible. I have seen fake QR codes all over parking garages in LA, San Diego and elsewhere. They put a fake QR over the real one on the sign that tells you to "scan to pay" and once again you're pointed to a fraudulent website that both steals your card info and charges you. Then you come back to a ticketed, booted or worse towed car. San Francisco had a news story last year where people were printing counterfeit parking tickets and placing them on cars, and they of course had a QR code that sent you to a website that looked identical to the City payment site but was a fake. Credit card invoice would say City of SF and then you find your card being charged all over the planet overnight.

QR codes are a GIGANTIC security disaster and nobody should EVER use one for anything that is related to payments. The only exception being situations like Sam's Club gas pumps where a custom image is displayed on the screen that only can be read by their App for payment. Otherwise if it is a printed QR code you should never use it to pay anyone for anything.

We are a little behind you here. Many restaurants in my area are doing this QR code thing on the receipts. Small independent ones and ones in chains of 3-4 different restaurants. I am sure these operators will see the problems you describe and deactivate this feature.

I agree QR codes are bad news and using them for payment in unattended places like a restaurant table or a gas pump is not a good idea. I've used QR codes for payments in two instances: those Wal Mart ones that get generated on a Wal Mart screen, and some coffee chain app (either Starbucks or Dunkin, can't remember which as I don't regularly order from either anymore).

[Alpha8472]

That QR code scam is scary. Exxon and Mobil have QR code stickers on their gas pumps. It would be easy for criminals to post fake QR codes on these pumps.

I have used the QR codes in the past. It was only recently that I soley use the ExxonMobil app to pay.

I believe it was the Walmart app that let you pay for gas using a QR code at ExxonMobil.

[ClownLoach]

That QR code scam is scary. Exxon and Mobil have QR code stickers on their gas pumps. It would be easy for criminals to post fake QR codes on these pumps.

I have used the QR codes in the past. It was only recently that I soley use the ExxonMobil app to pay.

I believe it was the Walmart app that let you pay for gas using a QR code at ExxonMobil.

I have seen many posts showing the fake QR codes showing up all over the West Coast. It is a major outbreak of this scam. You cannot trust any printed decal with a QR code for any sort of payment, period. All they are good for at restaurants at this point is seeing the menu if they haven't gone back to printed ones, increasingly rare.

For the restaurants that used QR payment tech, which included a few big ones like Texas Roadhouse, they had the QR on the receipt but have more recently pulled back to either the handheld card readers or the Ziosk because of all the walk out without paying fraud. My understanding is that the restaurants theoretically could track these people down to file police reports for defrauding an innkeeper (that's what it's called apparently) but they don't have enough LP type people to assemble the materials needed for a case. Some of the chains I am told were getting hit a dozen or more times per day on big checks, lots of drinks etc. and losing thousands of dollars.