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Hospitality at the checkout: Payment tech that boosts revenue
Smarter payment systems are transforming the customer experience. With fast, flexible payment options growing in demand, explore how hospitality businesses can use this opportunity to streamline operations and drive revenue at every touchpoint.
Read time: 5 mins Added: 11/11/25
As the festive season approaches, hospitality venues across the UK are gearing up for their busiest time of year. With bigger groups, higher expectations, and tighter margins, restaurants, pubs, cafés, and bars need to deliver speed, convenience, and a great customer experience. All at once.
That’s where payment technology comes in. It’s no longer just a back-office function - it’s a frontline tool that helps drive revenue, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.
Smarter payments drive smarter growth
Hospitality businesses are ambitious. Our 2025 hospitality sector report, From Till to Table: Driving Innovation in Hospitality1, shows that over half of venues surveyed plan to expand into multi-site formats in the next 12 months.
Whether it’s food halls, shared spaces, or seasonal pop-ups, payment systems need to grow with the business – and can help the business to grow.
What guests expect at checkout
The payment experience is the final moment of truth; it can either leave a great impression or undo all the good work that came before. Our report shows that customers now expect fast, flexible ways to pay, including:
- Contactless - requested by 77% of guests, especially in cafés and pubs
- Mobile wallets - like Apple Pay® and Google Pay®, requested by 44%
- Split bills and QR codes - especially popular in food trucks, seasonal venues, and multi-site operators
Split bills without the stress
Group dining is great for business - but splitting the bill can slow things down. With split-bill functionality built into payment terminals, diners can pay their share quickly and accurately - by card, including using contactless or mobile wallet.
Why it helps:
- Faster table turnover during peak hours
- Happier guests, due to less payment friction
- Fewer errors when dividing bills
QR code ordering and Pay-at-Table: Speed meets convenience
Long queues at the bar or waiting for card machines can slow down service - and discourage extra orders. QR code ordering and Pay-at-Table options let guests browse the menu, order, and pay from their phones.
Why it matters:
- Reduces queues and frees up staff
- Encourages upsells and extra rounds
- Shortens gaps between courses or drinks
- Keeps guests happy and tables turning over
Pay-by-Link for deposits and bookings
Taking deposits over the phone might feel familiar, but it’s not always the safest or most efficient way to do things. Common issues with over-the-phone payments, include:
- It’s easy to mishear or mistype card details, especially when things are busy
- It’s harder to verify who’s on the other end of the line, which increases fraud risk
- It ties up your team when they could be helping guests
- It could cost more to process than other payment methods
With Pay-by-Link, you can send secure payment requests via email or SMS, and customers can pay instantly online.
Benefits of Pay-by-Link:
- Secures bookings without tying up the phone
- Reduces no-shows with upfront deposits
- Offers a professional, hassle-free booking experience
- Integrates with booking systems – for tracking status and spotting trends
Final thoughts
Hospitality is all about great food, drink, and atmosphere - but the payment experience is part of that story too. By offering bill-splitting, Pay-at-Table, and Pay-by-Link solutions, you can meet customer expectations, boost efficiency, and increase revenue - not just during the festive rush, but all year round.