Boston Pizza Readies Mobile Payments Strategy

Sometimes mobile payments don’t happen all at once. Sometimes they start out small and expand outward when it becomes clear there’s an interest and the program itself works. That’s the kind of mobile payments push Boston Pizza is making, as it’s testing out such a plan in the greater Toronto area.

The plan calls for mobile payments capability to be added to the Boston Pizza app, available on both Android and iOS, thanks to a partnership with the MyRestaurant program sponsored by MyCheck. MyRestaurant helps restaurants build mobile payment systems into currently-existing apps, which makes it an excellent choice for Boston Pizza.

Right now, Boston Pizza customers will only be able to use either Apple Pay or a credit card to engage in the app, and those who do will be able to get access to personalized reward, bill review, and bill splitting as desired.

Boston Pizza’s vice president of business technology Cavin Green noted “Through this partnership with MyCheck, we are evolving from a loyalty app to a multi-feature platform, aimed at creating enhanced experiences. Today, guests no longer have to wait for a server to bring them the bill. They can control their dining experience from their smartphones. This is the way of the future, and this is yet another way that Boston Pizza is looking to offer remarkable hospitality.”

Evolving, yes. Evolved, not so much. Boston Pizza’s mobile payment app is awfully limited; those who favor PayPal, Venmo, Samsung Pay or even Zelle are all pretty much left out in the cold. So unless they’re using one of the payment methods that the company will actually allow, guests will still have to wait for a server to bring them the bill. Granted, this is Canada we’re talking about here, so those other mobile payments tools may not have the market penetration they have in some places.

Still, the Boston Pizza mobile payments app seems a bit too strictured to really have much impact. For Apple Pay or credit card users, though, this will likely be welcome. If it works, it works, so only time will tell just how well it actually does work.