TouchBistro iPad POS Awarded Patent
TouchBistro said it was granted a patent for a feature that helps restaurants to easily and quickly split bills between customers. The United States patent number 9514427 – titled "Graphical Interface and Input Method for Allocating an Invoice Amongst a Plurality of Accounts” – was issued on December 6.
The patented feature provides restaurant staff with a powerful tool to correctly allocate whole (or partial) ordered items to individuals, or to be shared by everyone at the table. The feature leverages the tablet’s touch and swipe capabilities to designate which diner is to pay for items ordered, or how individuals are to be grouped on a bill. By simply swiping between two seats on a graphical interface showing seats around the table, the software instantly splits the bill among customers and calculates all related taxes and tips.
As splitting bills between customers is one of the more time-consuming and challenging functions regularly requested of waiters, TouchBistro focused on designing a feature to accelerate and simplify the process. The patented graphical interface with simple swipe input and automated calculation eliminates a primary stressor for serving staff, reduces billing errors, and helps increase table turns.
This quarter, TouchBistro announced a new $17 million Series B round of funding, bringing TouchBistro’s total funding to date to $30 million. The company has experienced significant month-over-month growth over the past year, and now has deployed approximately 19,000 terminals across 7,000 restaurants around the world. Its POS solutions process Gross Merchandise Volumes in excess of $4 billion annually. In the last quarter, TouchBistro launched in Spanish and French, and integrated with QuickBooks and Square.
The patented feature provides restaurant staff with a powerful tool to correctly allocate whole (or partial) ordered items to individuals, or to be shared by everyone at the table. The feature leverages the tablet’s touch and swipe capabilities to designate which diner is to pay for items ordered, or how individuals are to be grouped on a bill. By simply swiping between two seats on a graphical interface showing seats around the table, the software instantly splits the bill among customers and calculates all related taxes and tips.
As splitting bills between customers is one of the more time-consuming and challenging functions regularly requested of waiters, TouchBistro focused on designing a feature to accelerate and simplify the process. The patented graphical interface with simple swipe input and automated calculation eliminates a primary stressor for serving staff, reduces billing errors, and helps increase table turns.
This quarter, TouchBistro announced a new $17 million Series B round of funding, bringing TouchBistro’s total funding to date to $30 million. The company has experienced significant month-over-month growth over the past year, and now has deployed approximately 19,000 terminals across 7,000 restaurants around the world. Its POS solutions process Gross Merchandise Volumes in excess of $4 billion annually. In the last quarter, TouchBistro launched in Spanish and French, and integrated with QuickBooks and Square.