Customers ordering food at any one of 168 pubs across London and the south of England will have the option to pay from their smartphone using the app.

Developed by MasterCard Labs, Qkr! is already used to great acclaim throughout wagamama, Zizzi and ASK Italian restaurants, saving time for customers and waiters alike. Studies show that the average time between asking for a bill and leaving a restaurant is between 10 and 12 minutes, but Qkr! reduces this to a few seconds.

Diners will be able to search for nearby Young’s or Geronimo pubs in the app, and on arrival they will be prompted to ‘check in’. Diners can then view the items they have ordered on their phone and pay via their phone when they are ready. For other diners wishing to split the bill, they can check into the same table, see the entire order, and select and pay for what is theirs when ready.

Many of Young’s customers visit the pub to eat out with friends who want to split the bill. While the company wanted a solution to speed up the payment process, and a mobile solution at that, maintaining a relaxed and leisurely dining experience is still the focus.

Patrick Dardis, Retail Director at Young & Co.s Brewery said: “We want to facilitate a relaxed atmosphere without the need for customers to pile up their payment cards to split the bill. Qkr! is a means to offer our tech-savvy diners a leading mobile solution from a globally trusted brand. This lets us focus on bringing customers a warm welcome and personalised service that’s so crucial to providing that leisurely lunch or dinner.”

Scott Abrahams, Group Head of Acceptance and Emerging Payments, MasterCard UK & Ireland said: “Having been around since 1831, Young’s are a cornerstone of the great British pub scene, so I’m thrilled to see them adopting new technology and innovate for their customers. They will love using Qkr! It’s the hassle free way to pay.”

The app offers diners the following benefits:

• Convenience – control of how and when they pay. If they are with friends they can split the bill.
• Simplicity – the app is easy to download and customers can register any payment card, not just a MasterCard
• Security – MasterCard processes 65,000 secure transactions a minute. Pub patrons know that their transaction is safe and secure

For pubs and restaurants the benefits are simple: quicker payments allow more customers to dine, and staff have more time to take orders and deliver food – and these benefits are passed to back to diners through more attentive and efficient service throughout their meal.

Qkr! with MasterPass is quickly building scale across UK restaurant chains, available for wagamama, ASK Italian and Zizzi (both part of the Azzurri Group), and soon at Carluccios. The versatility of the app is evidenced in its varied use around the world, from stadia across the Americas, such as the Copa America football tournament in Chile, to paying for schools meals in Australia.

The app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.