Pay for Pizza with Pepper: MasterCard enables robot to take orders and payments in restaurant

Diners in Asia will soon be able to order a pizza and pay using MasterCard, just by speaking to SoftBank Robotics’ humanoid robot Pepper.

MasterCard has unveiled the first commerce application for Pepper, and Pizza Hut restaurants in Asia will be its launch partner. The application is powered by MasterPass, the global digital payment service from MasterCard that connects consumers with retailers and businesses, enabling them to make fast, simple, and secure digital payments.

When greeted by Pepper, diners simply pair their MasterPass account by either tapping the Pepper icon within the wallet on their phone, or by scanning a QR code on the tablet that the robot holds. Pepper can then provide personalised recommendations and offers; additional information on products; and assistance in checking out and paying for items. Pepper can start, approve and complete a payment by connecting to MasterPass via a Wi-Fi connection, and the entire transaction happens within the customer’s digital wallet.

Pizza Hut Asia will be piloting Pepper for order taking and personalised engagement to enhance customer service in restaurants by the end of 2016.

“Consumers have come to expect personalised service, customised offers and simple and seamless processes both in-store and online,” said Tobias Puehse, vice president, innovation management, MasterCard Labs Asia Pacific. “The app’s goal is to provide consumers with more memorable and personalised shopping experiences beyond today’s self-serve machines and kiosks, by combining Pepper’s intelligence with a secure digital payment experience via MasterPass.”

“We are excited to welcome Pepper to the Pizza Hut family,” said Vipul Chawla, Managing Director of Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia. “Core to our digital transformation journey is the ability to make it easier for customers to engage, connect and transact with Pizza Hut. With an order-and-payment-enabled Pepper, customers can now come to expect personalised ordering at our stores, reduce wait time for takeaways, and have a fun, frictionless user experience.”