McDonald's will begin installing MasterCard's PayPass readers and chip card terminals in some of its 1400 restaurants across Canada as early as 2008.

"We're excited about our plans to further enhance the customer experience through these new payment options," said Laurie Laykish, Senior Vice-President Marketing and Strategic Planning, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited. "We are always listening to our customers and responding with new innovations to meet the needs of their on-the-go lifestyles, whether it be with drive-thrus, menu choices or, in this case, more convenient payment options."

The PayPass system is designed to enable small-ticket purchases to be completed quickly, securely, and easily. Customers simply tap a PayPass-enabled MasterCard card on a PayPass reader to complete a transaction. A PayPass transaction is faster than paying by cash and designed for busy merchant environments like quick-service restaurants, concessions stands, and drive-thrus.

The chip card will allow customers to personally insert their card into a chip-enabled terminal and then enter a private Personal Identification Number (PIN) to complete the transaction.

"We are pleased to be working with McDonald's to provide their customers with the tap and go convenience of MasterCard PayPass," said Kevin Stanton, President of MasterCard Canada. "Over the next two years, the majority of merchants across Canada will have upgraded their point-of-sale terminals to be MasterCard chip enabled and, in the right environments, PayPass compatible offering increased convenience and security."