Consumers are opting to pay via contactless methods more than ever. With 83% of the British population using tap and go, there are now 135 million contactless cards in circulation – covering 88% of all debit cards and 81% of credit cards[1].

It is clear contactless payment methods are here to stay.  And with people now returning to offices –albeit often in a hybrid way mixing working from home on some days and working from the office on others – it’s essential that hospitality providers in corporate offices are offering innovative payment and ordering options. Making the most of staff being on-site, and driving revenue on those days, is more important than ever given the reduction in footfall when staff are working from home.

For example, there are solutions – such as the mySYSTOPIA app – that allows office-based consumers to pre-order and pay for food and beverage items using their smartphone.

Available for iOS and android smart devices, users can arrange a specified collection time on the day, or even in advance, and have food delivered direct to their desk or pick up from a designated area – reducing time spent queuing and equally minimising movement around the office building.

For pre-packed items, such as sandwiches or salads, additional food pick-up points, that allow some traffic to be diverted away from the corporate dining area, is also an option. Given payment is taken via the app these pick-up points don’t need EPOS or pay points installed, just scan and pay.

Loyalty points can also be earned via the app, helping to encourage office workers to stay on-site for their lunch – especially helpful for hospitality providers who have a lot of competition from other nearby catering outlets, all vying for a share of spend from office workers.

Furthermore, at the point of ordering app users can view full menus, complete with ingredient and allergen information for each product – something which is top of mind since the introduction of Natasha’s Law in October this year. Users can view the menu at their leisure and ensure they are choosing items that are safe for them to consume. Furthermore, it’s possible for only the ‘allergen safe’ menu options to show for each individual user.

As well as offering many benefits to the office workers, online ordering is also great for businesses. It can help reduce food waste as pre-ordering helps hospitality providers understand the food quantities they need to make each day and provides invaluable transaction data informing them of their people’s spending habits – which in turn can help build much needed revenue through targeted marketing.

Mobile apps are only set to increase in terms of usage. They create a slick and convenient user experience, and given fewer workers are in the office full time like they once were, ensuring their experience with the hospitality offering is seamless when they are on-site, is key.

If you haven’t yet explored setting up a mobile app in your workplace – or you have but are interested to hear more about how we could enhance your system – then drop us an email on info@systopia.co.uk

[1] https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/press/press-releases/contactless-now-accounts-more-quarter-all-uk-payments