The terminal is designed to be carried by waiting staff at all times, which allows them to produce a bill instantly upon request. This will significantly cut down the length of time customers typically have to wait to pay their bill, improving their overall experience while enabling establishments to turn their tables much more quickly during busy periods.

The handheld terminal, designed in partnership with payment solutions provider Ingenico, prints a full itemised bill for the customer to view at the table, as well as processing the card payment via Chip and PIN. The card remains in the customer's sight throughout the full transaction, helping to improve security and minimise fraud.

It works by synchronising with the main point of sale (POS) system through which orders are placed to generate the bill, either via a wireless internet or Bluetooth connection. This means there is no room for human error in transferring across the total amount due, so customers cannot be over or under charged. Additionally, it eliminates the risk of staff fraud from manually entering a different amount to that shown on the bill.

The terminals also come with an optional "split bill" functionality which allows diners to share payment between them, including gratuities.

Chris Davies, Managing Director, Global Payments said: "We are always investing in new payments technology to help our customers run their businesses more effectively. The introduction of Global PAY Now has the potential to completely revolutionise customer experiences, as well as increasing revenues by allowing restaurants to serve a greater number of diners in a shorter space of time."