OAK BROOK, Ill.—McDonald’s is testing mobile ordering and payments in select U.S. markets.
Initially, mobile ordering is available in 29 restaurants in Monterey and Salinas, Calif., and in 51 more restaurants in Spokane, Wash. A full rollout across the U.S. and to other international markets is expected by year’s end, Tech Crunch reported.
By Q4 2017, McDonald’s plans to have mobile ordering live in its 14,000 U.S. restaurants. In addition, 6,000 others in Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Australia and China will receive the technology by year’s end, Tech Crunch stated.
The McDonald’s mobile app already allowed customers to browse the menu, check out the weekly deals, find nearby locations and more. But now it will begin to allow customers to place orders and pay within the app, as well, as mobile ordering becomes more broadly available.
After customers place their order and pay in the app, McDonald’s uses geo-fencing technology to track the customer’s location, so their food is only prepared when they’re physically near the store—to prevent the food from remaining under heat lamps for too long, Tech Crunch explained.