Mastercard Launches New Order Ahead, In-Vehicle, Push Payments Solutions

Mastercard, the payment company, announced a series of digital payment initiatives on Tuesday (Feb. 27) aimed at different segments of the market.

In a press release, Mastercard said that as of March 19, Mastercard’s Qkr! with Masterpass will be available at all U.K. Pizza Hut locations. With the service, diners at its U.K. restaurants will be able to pay for their meals via their mobile phones without having to ask a waiter for the bill, which, the company said, will save customers 12 minutes on average.

Qkr! is a mobile ordering and payments platform developed by Mastercard Labs. It enables consumers to order, pay and split bills from their smartphones without having to queue or wait for a server.

“Rolling out Qkr! is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue the innovation journey we are on as a brand. Over the last six years, we have invested over £60 million in transforming our restaurants and menu, and this allows us to continue to improve the service and experience we offer our guests as well as embracing technology, which has become so central to modern culture,” said Keith Frimley, IT director of Pizza Hut Restaurants, in the press release.

Mastercard also announced a partnership with Dream Payments, a platform designed to get insurance customers paid quickly. The idea behind the partnership is for insurance policyholders to receive fast payments into any payment card or account. Northbridge Financial is the first insurance provider in Canada to use the Mastercard Send platform through the Dream Payments Hub.

Citing data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the insurance industry in the country pays out about CAD$30 billion in claims annually. The partnership will help insurance companies digitize and automate claims disbursements, Mastercard said in the press release.

“Mastercard is focused on improving the ways people and businesses pay and get paid, providing more choice, security and convenience,” Zahir Khoja, SVP of Global Acceptance & Solutions at Mastercard, said. “This collaboration with Dream Payments demonstrates our commitment to expand the reach and depth of digital payments, enabling insurance companies to transform the customer experience.”

Finally, at the Mobile World Congress being held in Barcelona, Spain, Mastercard announced a partnership with SAP and SAP’s Connected Vehicles Network platform. During the next six months, Mastercard said it will offer U.S. consumers the ability to make purchases in-vehicle for things like parking, fuel and food ordering and delivery via a number pilot programs. The programs will be tested in select cities. Mastercard is also working with Postmates to provide on-demand food ordering and delivery within vehicles.