PURCHASE, N.Y.—In a move that signals how consumers’ service expectations are being shaped by all retailers, Mastercard is partnering with ZIVELO, a leader in self-service kiosk technology, to enhance the drive-in and drive-through ordering experience for quick service restaurants (QSRs) with a first-of-its-kind AI-powered voice assistant and personalized dynamic menu, the company said.
Sonic Drive-In will be the first partner to pilot the new experience at selected Sonic locations in the U.S. this year. The technology will first be showcased at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago from May 18-21, 2019.
Upon arrival at the QSR’s drive-in or drive-through, consumers will be prompted to order from an AI-powered voice ordering assistant, which will integrate with a dynamic menu display. The menu will automatically update using a proprietary AI solution developed by Mastercard, which will allow the display to be customized either for a specific customer or for external factors such as weather, time of day, seasonality and location, Mastercard said.
‘Enhanced Ordering’
“We are excited to be partnering with ZIVELO to help QSR merchants further enhance their ordering experience to provide even more contextual interactions with their customers and ultimately allow them to get their food faster,” said Stephane Wyper, senior vice president, new commerce partnerships, Mastercard. “This builds on Mastercard’s continued focus on leveraging our payment, loyalty and analytics capabilities to innovate within the retail space alongside our merchant and technology partners.”
The artificial intelligence engine that powers the voice ordering experience to provide a dynamic menu was developed through Mastercard Labs and can be adapted for the needs of each specific merchant partner, the company said.
Partnership on Transportation-Related Payments
Separately, Mastercard and Kisio are partnering to transform how millions of locals and guests get around cities, Mastercard said.
By embedding Mastercard’s payment and security technology into Kisio’s trip planning and ticketing capabilities, transportation providers will be able to help their passengers book their entire trip in one app, the company said.
“Working with over 150 cities around the world, we have improved the transit experience for residents and visitors while delivering efficiencies for operators,” said Miguel Gamiño, head of global cities at Mastercard. “Together with Kisio and our other City Possible partners, we’re ready to take on the next mobility challenge, co-creating ‘Mobility-as-a-Service’ options that make tech truly work for people.”
“As passengers get ever more out of their smart devices, they also expect more from transport operators and authorities regarding digital services,” said Pacôme Lesage, chief executive officer at Kisio Digital. “By partnering with Mastercard, we are able to deliver on this expectations in new and exciting ways, bringing to market a fully functional platform for multimodal transport apps.”
Expanded List of Cities
Kisio has recently joined City Possible, an initiative introduced by Mastercard to foster new forms of collaboration for more inclusive and sustainable cities.
“Over the coming months, Mastercard and Kisio will invite and select cities from the global City Possible network to co-create and pilot a Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform that fully integrates with local transit authorities,” Mastercard said.
Kisio’s first MaaS deployment will be in the Netherlands where a pilot will launch this summer. Today, Kisio’s Navitia mobility platform is already being used by over 50 local transportation and technology providers worldwide, including in France, the United States and Canada.