Carrabba's Italian Grill Deploys New Carside Payment System
Carrabba's Italian Grill joins the roster of restaurants using VeriFone's ON THE SPOT payment system. Carrabba's expects to complete deployment by early summer with multiple devices in each of its 239 locations nationwide, integrated with its existing in-store restaurant management system.
Houston-based Carrabba's is a brand of OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC, one of the largest casual dining restaurant companies in the world with brands including Outback Steakhouse and Bonefish Grill. Carrabba's is using VeriFone's point-of-service payment solution to enhance operation of its growing carside carryout business, one of the restaurant industry's fastest-growing segments.
"Providing fast, efficient and secure transactions is a key part of good customer service and a pleasant dining experience," says Bill Allen, chief executive officer of OSI. "No matter how or where customers place or pick up their orders, we are committed to making it convenient and secure so they are free to enjoy the quality of the food."
Servers wear VeriFone's compact, wireless ON THE SPOT device on their belts as they deliver orders; then, patrons swipe their own credit cards on the device to pay for their meals. The system reduces the number of steps needed to close out checks and dramatically speeds up the entire payment process for servers and customers.
The payment system also uses special encryption and other security features to protect all financial data transacted over a restaurant's Wi-Fi network, providing protection from credit card fraud, which the Federal Trade Commission says is the most common form of identity theft. A recent survey of restaurants by payment gateway service provider Merchant Link found that respondents ranked "security of customer credit card data" the highest among a range of credit card transaction concerns.
ON THE SPOT has two main platforms: the V 670 for at-the-table, carside or point-of-delivery payment for full-service family, casual and fine dining restaurants; and the QX720 for use at drive-thru windows.