Omni-channel payments get real
More and more QSRs want to differentiate themselves by allowing customers to pay in multiple ways via multiple channels, and also by enabling customers to start a sale in one channel (such as via mobile device) and finish it in the restaurant or via a kiosk. The objective is to stay connected to consumers throughout the entire buyer’s journey — whether in-store, online, or on mobile devices. Major retailers such as Walmart and Home Depot have already begun deploying multi-channel solutions to provide their customers with a seamless payment experience no matter what channel they come through. This helps build trust and familiarity with the brand, while also providing consumers with a consistent experience when they go to pay. Burch expects to see QSRs to follow suit to stay competitive and keep customers engaged.

Continued EMV adoption
The EMV migration has begun, and the pace of adoption is faster than industry analysts predicted over the last couple years. An Ingenico Group survey found that 60 percent of consumers have already received EMV cards, and of that group, almost half — 48 percent — had actually used one to make a purchase. We expect that this number will continue to significantly increase through 2019 and also anticipate that card issuers will begin to transition to PIN-based EMV Chip cards in 2019.

Multi-layered security solutions become the norm –Major card data breaches in late 2016 and 2017 caused many merchants, including restaurants, to re-think their security approaches. We recommend a multi-layered approach that, in addition to EMV, incorporates point-to-point-encryption (P2PE) and tokenization. Further, the PCI Standards Security Council and analyst firms such as Gartner recommend PCI-certified solutions for merchants that are implementing P2PE. The best practice in this area includes using a PCI PTS-approved device to accept and encrypt card-present payment across traditional QSR point of sale, tablets and phones.