Shift4 Targets Restaurant Industry With New QR Codes

Payments tech firm Shift4 Payments is rolling out a new QR code solution aimed at making the process of ordering and paying for a meal at a restaurant a completely contactless experience.

Shift4 on Monday (Oct. 12) launched a customer QR code aimed at the restaurant industry, as interest in the technology explodes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and growing demand for touchless transactions.

Customers can scan the code, which is designed to be placed on table tents, placemats and other locations, in order to look at the menu and then place orders. The orders then go directly to the restaurant’s point-of-sale (POS) system and on to the kitchen to be prepared, according to the company.

Shift4’s launch of a QR menu and ordering code comes on the heels of its introduction earlier this year of QR Pay, which enables restaurant customers to pay through their phones.

Shift4, which was founded in 1994 and has offices in Las Vegas and Allentown, Pennsylvania, is pitching the new, complementary code systems not just as a health precaution, but also as a way for restaurants to boost efficiency while also offering added convenience to their patrons.

“As contactless solutions become more popular with consumers, it’s important that businesses are able to provide an experience that caters to this demand,” Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman said in a press release. “Our QR code technology enables restaurants to provide their patrons with a touch-free dining experience that’s secure, safe and convenient.”

Shift4’s new restaurant QR code comes as the payments technology firm rides a surging stock price following a successful IPO over the summer.

The firm, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FOUR, raised $345 million in its June debut at $23 a share.

Shares of Shift4 were trading at more than $60 a share as of midday Monday.