Burger King Brings New Digital Currency, Whoppercoin, To Russia

Visitors to Russian Burger King locations may have a new pay to pay for their Whoppers, onion rings and soft drinks with the advent of the fast food chain’s personal cryptocurrency system, a digital payment method the company’s Russian unit is calling “Whoppercoin.”

The chain is offering its new digital wallet system as a complement to a freshly-launched rewards program in Russia. Each time a restaurant guest buys a Whopper, a Whoppercoin will be added to his or her digital wallet balance, Forbes reported. Although it isn’t yet clear whether consumers across Russia will be able to pay for their Burger King orders with Whoppercoins, it’s possible Whoppercoins may go toward food purchases at the chain, either as reward prizes or as a form of actual currency.

Interestingly, the debut of Burger King’s aptly-named cryptocurrency program would not be the chain’s first foray into Russia’s digital payment realm. A Moscow-based Burger King was reportedly piloting the acceptance of Bitcoin earlier this summer, marking the first time a retailer in the country would accept the cryptocurrency as payment for goods or services.

Fast food firms worldwide have already begun bringing digital capabilities to other markets to help boost sales. McDonald’s implemented mobile ordering and payment options in China and KFC enabled smartphone payments in the country as well.

U.S.-based restaurants are increasingly offering digital payments, mobile ordering and app-based rewards programs, which appear to be helping build momentum among American chains. Earlier this month, the New York Post reported the country’s three biggest fast food chains — McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s — saw same-store sales up by more than 3 percent, the first time in five consecutive quarters results were that strong.

Burger King’s corporate communications department has not yet commented on the Whoppercoin program, according to reports from Forbes.