Wendy’s Enables Mobile Payments Across the U.S.

Wendy’s, fashionably late to the mobile payments party, has announced that it will start accepting payments through its mobile app.

The Ohio-based fast food chain has 5,800 locations in the U.S.

Following a mobile payments testing phase last year, it’s now comfortable enough with rolling out app payments and the deeper opportunity of potential loyalty reward programs in the future.

To pay, a customer passes a six-digit code to the person behind the counter after they’ve opened up the My Wendy’s app, which is available for both iOS and Android phones.

Wendy’s joins a long list of food service companies hoping to get a boost from smartphone obsessed young people.

Starbucks likely served as the catalyst for a long list of companies including McDonalds, Chipotle, and Burger King to adopt mobile payments.

However, Starbucks is in a unique position since it’s so ubiquitous, and a daily dose of coffee is something that’s (relatively) guilt-free.

As more companies from different sectors look to capitalize on mobile payments, it is likely that consumers will feel some fatigue just keeping up with the number of options out there.

It’ll take some sweet rewards to get them to keep your app on the home screen.