McDonald's Commits to RFID

McDonald's is now accepting MasterCard (mastercard.com) PayPass, a new "contactless" payment option utilizing radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Select Dallas and the New York area mcDonald's will implement MasterCard PayPass later this year, with additional locations to be added in 2005.

"McDonald's is always looking for new and innovative ways to use technology to improve customer service in our restaurants," says Jim Sappington, vice president of information technology, McDonald's U.S.A. "The convenience of MasterCard PayPass will help our customers get their Big Macs, salads and Happy Meals even faster."

MasterCard PayPass cardholders can make purchases without swiping their card through a traditional card-reader. PayPass cardholders tap or wave the card on or near a specially equipped terminal that utilizes a RFID chip to complete the transaction. McDonald's will have Verifone (verifone.com) Omni 7000 card-readers installed to accept the cards. PayPass is an expansion of McDonald's partnership with MasterCard announced earlier this year.

McDonald's currently accepts cashless payment options at more than 4,500 restaurants in the United States and expects to increase up to 8,000 by the end of 2004.