Patent attributes
A method of processing orders and payments in a location-based food-service venue such as a restaurant, stadium or arena. Each customer location has a physical identity target attached in proximity thereto comprising a unique system-wide identifier readable by customer mobile devices. Targets might be visually readable, using QR codes or the like, or might be a short range radio beacon broadcasting the identifier (NFC, RFID etc.)—they do not contain human-readable location indication information. The identifiers associated with the targets do not contain location- or venue-specific information, and are recorded in relation to location records corresponding to individual customer locations in the venue in a order database held on a server. On reading of a target by a customer device and a related location transmission to a server, the server can associate the transmission with its related customer location in the venue-associated POS system, facilitate a selection of items for ordering regarding the location and facilitate an ordering transaction for the amount owing at the selected customer location through a transaction gateway, and provide a transaction completion indication to the POS system. The method allows for enhanced velocity in deployment and maintenance of location targets, and enables mobile device-based ordering and payment in venues previously not offering same. Systems and software are also disclosed.
