McDonald’s Tests Mobile Ordering

Tapping a button to order a Big Mac could be coming to your smartphone soon.

March 30, 2016

OAK BROOK, Ill. – McDonald’s has begun testing mobile ordering in areas outside the United States, TheStreet.com reports. “We will be piloting ordering capabilities through mobile in some geographies outside the United States this year,” said Atif Rafiq, chief digital officer for the fast-food chain. While not revealing specific details about the pilot program, Rafiq did say that “it’s important for us to work out the kinks so we can scale it up as soon as possible.”

Concurrently, CEO Steve Easterbrook has begun work to bring the customer experience into the 21st century via a national loyalty program. The burger chain is building the technical infrastructure and working on compiling an email database via app downloads to support the rewards program. So far, the McDonald’s app only provides a menu and ability to locate a restaurant.

Last year, McDonald’s launched a rewards program with its app for drinks in a few test areas, including New York City and California. Thus far, around 7.5 million downloads of the restaurant’s app have occurred.

“When we think about the customer experience of how people get their food from McDonald's, we want to do a much better job on behalf of the customer,” Rafiq said. “We think technology plays a huge role in making that experience more streamlined, whether that means helping people skip steps, have more control over the process and reduce stress, or customize their food experience—digital allows all of that to happen.” 

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