The future of contactless payment in hospitality

QR codes had their definitive breakthrough during COVID-19 and are now indispensable in Dutch hospitality, simply because they work. They're proven, affordable, and easy to roll out. With a system like Splitty, your guests can settle their bill in just 15 seconds. Even older guests adapt quickly. One restaurant owner shared that his 78-year-old regular now scans faster than he ever pulled out his debit card. If you're looking for a starting point, QR is the most reliable and accessible choice available today.

The results speak for themselves. Restaurant LIMON in Amsterdam saw their revenue increase by 35% through faster table turnover after adopting QR payments. When guests can pay their bill in 15 seconds instead of waiting for staff, tables free up faster and you can serve more guests during peak hours. Faster checkout times mean more table rotation, which directly impacts your bottom line. This is exactly why QR remains one of the most valuable technologies to focus on right now.

NFC stands for Near Field Communication, and it has been built into smartphones for years. For payments, your guests simply tap their phone against an NFC tag on the table. There's no need to open the camera or scan a QR code, just tap and pay. The average payment time with NFC is 3 seconds. With Apple recently opening NFC for third-party apps, this technology is becoming much more accessible for hospitality, making it a strong candidate to take over in the near future.

NFC tags are extremely affordable. The cost is around €0.02 per tag, and you can buy a batch of 500 pieces for roughly €10. This makes it easy and low-risk to start experimenting. You can pick up a few tags, place them on your tables, and test the experience with your team before committing further. Given how low the investment is, NFC is worth trialing to see whether your guests respond well to the tap-and-pay experience.

Not yet. Biometric payments, like facial recognition and palm scanning, are already used in China and being experimented with by chains like McDonald's, but for Dutch hospitality this is still far off. The first steps are being taken, but it's not something the average hospitality owner needs to worry about today. Focus your energy on proven technologies like QR and NFC that add direct value now, and keep biometrics on your radar for the future.

It depends on your situation. Cryptocurrency is volatile and complex, so it's not for everyone. However, for international tourists it can be a real advantage, since there are no exchange rates and no credit card fees. If your restaurant attracts a lot of international guests, crypto could be worth considering. For most restaurants, though, it's a dark horse trend rather than a must-have. Weigh it against the value it adds before deciding to implement it.

It sounds unusual, but yes, BNPL like Klarna can make sense in specific situations. It's particularly useful for large group dinners or corporate events where the bill is significant. For everyday dining it's less relevant, which is why BNPL is considered a dark horse trend in hospitality. If you regularly host big groups or business events, it could be worth exploring as a flexible option for your guests.

Very quickly. Systems like Splitty make implementation possible within 24 hours. This is one of the reasons QR is the recommended starting point: it's fast to roll out, proven, and affordable. You don't need a lengthy setup process or major technical investment to get going. Once it's live, your guests can start settling their bills in 15 seconds, helping you speed up table turnover almost immediately.

Focus on technologies that add direct value. A good rule of thumb is to check whether a new technology ticks at least two of these boxes: faster checkout times for more table rotation, higher tips for your staff, a better guest experience with more positive reviews, or lower transaction costs. If it doesn't meet at least two, it's probably not worth it. The average hospitality owner doesn't have time to try everything, so prioritize what delivers measurable results.

Start small and stay flexible. Begin with QR, since it's proven, affordable, and can be implemented within 24 hours through systems like Splitty. Then experiment with NFC by buying a few tags for around €10 per 500 pieces and testing them with your team. Choose POS systems that offer open APIs so you're ready for future integrations. Most importantly, listen to your guests, because not every technology suits every restaurant. Test, measure, and adjust as you go to find what works best for your business.