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Feeling hungry? Well if you are then there is some good news today for hungry Android users. McDonalds have today announced that they are now accepting Near Field Communications (NFC) payments from Android devices. This is the result of a link-up between McDonalds and Softcard. If you have never heard of Softcard then that is not surprising as the company only recently re-branded themselves as Softcard. They were previously known as ISIS mobile Wallet although for obvious reasons felt it was better to distance themselves from the ISIS name. For those of you interested Softcard is actually one of the rare occasions where networks are not at each others throats and is a collaboration in mobile payments between AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon.
Todays news from McDonalds is great news for android users as it means they can know pay for their food both in-store and using Drive Thru facilities. The system had previously been trialed last year and today’s announcement highlights the success of the original pilot scheme “We are pleased to announce this national launch after a successful pilot program that began in 2013. Our work with Softcard further reinforces McDonald’s commitment to customer service and convenience”. This is actually not the first time McDonalds have dabbled with NFC as they already currently do accept Google Wallet payments. This combined with today’s news it seems Android users will have even more ways to pay for their grub wirelessly.
If you are interested in giving the service a go then you do need to download the Softcard app. Due to this being a multi-network venture it is important you download the right app from the right network. you can visit the Softcard site by clicking here and it will provide you with details and the links to the correct network app. Once downloaded you are free to head off to McDonalds and check out the service for yourself. However, it is probably worth noting that currently this service is only available in the US. Sorry guys. If you are not US based then you will have to pay using the more mundane and boring cash methods. At least for now. Anyone going to test out this service? What other stores/food outlets would you like to see start taking NFC payments. Let us know.