Subway to use Apple Pay in new self-order kiosks & iPhone preorders

AppleInsider · July 17, 2017 3:39PM

Subway is in the middle of testing a new restaurant design that will make Apple Pay an integral option when ordering food, in some cases before people even walk through the door.

Upgraded locations will have self-order kiosks supporting both Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, the company said on Monday. Once an order is completed, people will be able to claim it at a dedicated pick-up space. The chain does already support Apple Pay, but only for conventional orders.

The pick-up space will also handle preorders made through the company's iPhone app, which is being updated with its own Apple Pay compatibility. Currently mobile users have to manually add a credit, debit, or Subway card.

To further attract a tech-savvy crowd, overhauled restaurants will include free Wi-Fi as well as USB charging ports at seats.

The new design -- dubbed "Fresh Forward" -- is being tested at a dozen locations worldwide. U.S. restaurants include ones in Chula Vista, Calif., Palmview, Texas, Hillsboro, Ore., Vancouver, Wash., and three Flordia markets: Orlando, Tamarac, and Winter Park.

Canadian pilots are taking place in Quebec, specifically Beauport and Granby. The one U.K. test city is Manchester.

It's not clear when the new store design will emerge from its test phase, but Subway said that "many elements of the new brand identity" will go global by the end of 2017.

Rayz2016 · July 17, 2017 4:05PM

Here's another place where Samsung trumps Apple bigly.

If you have an iPhone, you can pay for your Subway sarnie and that's all you can do.

If you had the good sense to buy a Samsung, then not only can you buy a sandwich, you can leave it next to your phone for five minutes and it'll toast it for you.

Can't innovate, my ass!

lkrupp · July 17, 2017 4:12PM

Headline makes it seem like an Pay exclusive. Not.

Rayz2016 · July 17, 2017 4:15PM

lkrupp said:

Headline makes it seem like an Pay exclusive. Not.

Yup.

What they really meant was "Subway add NFC-enabled kiosks."

pscooter63 · July 17, 2017 5:07PM

Pretty sure I saw this just yesterday, at a relatively new Panera Bread location.

StrangeDays · July 17, 2017 5:15PM

Rayz2016 said:

lkrupp said:

Headline makes it seem like an Pay exclusive. Not.

Yup.

What they really meant was "Subway add NFC-enabled kiosks."

Tho they are not necessarily the same – CVS takes NFC tap to pay, but excludes AP.

But if a venue takes AP I don’t care if it’s exclusive or not.

sirlance99 · July 17, 2017 6:00PM

lkrupp said:

Headline makes it seem like an Pay exclusive. Not.

It’ll really never be just Apple Pay as it’s just NFC payments. So that’s everything using NFC.

mknelson · July 17, 2017 6:45PM

I think the key Pay line vs. NFC is:

The pick-up space will also handle preorders made through the company's iPhone app, which is being updated with its own Apple Pay compatibility.

cali · July 17, 2017 8:32PM

I almost wish Apple made proprietary hardware for Apple Pay and rolled out special iPads to retailers.

I remember speaking about this years ago because retailers use dinosaurs.

YES it would have been expensive but I knew the knockoffs were gonna piggyback Apple's hard work. And instead of seeing the mess of logos you'll just see "Pay Visa MasterCard Discover".

sirlance99 · July 17, 2017 9:08PM

cali said:

I almost wish Apple made proprietary hardware for Apple Pay and rolled out special iPads to retailers.

I remember speaking about this years ago because retailers use dinosaurs.

YES it would have been expensive but I knew the knockoffs were gonna piggyback Apple's hard work. And instead of seeing the mess of logos you'll just see "Pay Visa MasterCard Discover".

What hard work? What piggyback? The beginnings of the Infrastructure where already in place and in use before Apple Pay was announced. There was always going to be multiple types of NFC payments down the line. You were always going to see multiple types of logos and never just Apple Pay. It wasn’t ever though up like that at all as it’s all the using the same standards made possible by the rules set by Visa/MC. Not Apple.

There is no advantage for a store to only accept Apple Pay and not other NFC payments. Nothing. Why would they?

There is nothing that is a knock-off about this at all. Other things out can claim and I would agree, but not NFC payments.

spice-boy · July 17, 2017 11:16PM

Who in their right mind would ever eat at one of those horrible places?

sflocal · July 17, 2017 11:26PM

spice-boy said:

Who in their right mind would ever eat at one of those horrible places?

My last experience at a Subway's many years ago was nasty. Will never step foot in one again.

Quiznos though is my better choice.

mobird · July 18, 2017 12:39AM

Google articles regarding DNA testing of Subways chicken. You will never eat there again. I haven't eaten there in years, way before I read the "chicken" article.

jbdragon · July 18, 2017 12:43AM

I've been to Subway a number of times and always use my Apple Watch to pay. Quick and simple. I'm not sure what the point is with these new kiosks? You're right there in front of the person to take your order(s). Watching as they do it to make sure it's right. The Kiosk seems counter productive. Unless there's Robots actually making the food, I just don't get it. What am I missing? I get the app. You can make a order when you're not there, and be able to just walk in and pick it up. That makes perfect sense and something other places do. Allowing Apple Pay in app is also a plus! But the Kiosks? I normally don't eat there. I buy what I want and leave and go home to eat. So charging stations? I guess if you have a Quick Charge phone and you carry a cable everywhere you go, that may come in handy. There's no Quick Charge iPhones. Quick Charge iPads if it's high enough amps.

payeco · July 18, 2017 3:55AM

I guess this is how much of a NYC bubble I live in. I saw the headline and though the MTA was suddenly
going to start accepting Apple Pay for MetroCards.

Rayz2016 · July 18, 2017 5:47AM

sflocal said:

spice-boy said:

Who in their right mind would ever eat at one of those horrible places?

My last experience at a Subway's many years ago was nasty. Will never step foot in one again.

Quiznos though is my better choice.

I just make my own sandwiches.

SpamSandwich · July 18, 2017 7:34AM

jbdragon said:

I've been to Subway a number of times and always use my Apple Watch to pay. Quick and simple. I'm not sure what the point is with these new kiosks? You're right there in front of the person to take your order(s). Watching as they do it to make sure it's right. The Kiosk seems counter productive. Unless there's Robots actually making the food, I just don't get it. What am I missing? I get the app. You can make a order when you're not there, and be able to just walk in and pick it up. That makes perfect sense and something other places do. Allowing Apple Pay in app is also a plus! But the Kiosks? I normally don't eat there. I buy what I want and leave and go home to eat. So charging stations? I guess if you have a Quick Charge phone and you carry a cable everywhere you go, that may come in handy. There's no Quick Charge iPhones. Quick Charge iPads if it's high enough amps.

I presume they're getting customers ready to place most of their orders using these kiosks because they'll be laying off large numbers of their staff as the minimum wage rates rise across the country. Low-wage workers cannot provide enough value for businesses to keep them on at $11-$15/hr. wages. People won't pay 30% more for their food, so layoffs are what's next. Progressives did this.

haar · July 18, 2017 4:31PM

SpamSandwich said:

jbdragon said:

I've been to Subway a number of times and always use my Apple Watch to pay. Quick and simple. I'm not sure what the point is with these new kiosks? You're right there in front of the person to take your order(s). Watching as they do it to make sure it's right. The Kiosk seems counter productive. Unless there's Robots actually making the food, I just don't get it. What am I missing? I get the app. You can make a order when you're not there, and be able to just walk in and pick it up. That makes perfect sense and something other places do. Allowing Apple Pay in app is also a plus! But the Kiosks? I normally don't eat there. I buy what I want and leave and go home to eat. So charging stations? I guess if you have a Quick Charge phone and you carry a cable everywhere you go, that may come in handy. There's no Quick Charge iPhones. Quick Charge iPads if it's high enough amps.

I presume they're getting customers ready to place most of their orders using these kiosks because they'll be laying off large numbers of their staff as the minimum wage rates rise across the country. Low-wage workers cannot provide enough value for businesses to keep them on at $11-$15/hr. wages. People won't pay 30% more for their food, so layoffs are what's next. Progressives did this.

Um, who makes the sandwich?... and of the subways that i have been in MOB (mississauga, oakville,Brampton) or GTA seem to have only one person out front, and a person in back... a bare minimum of employees ...

MCdonalds introduced the koisks and the number of order takers has been reduced to one... the koisks are faster... (although, sometimes they make it a pain to use a coupon...)

dkhaley · July 18, 2017 8:01PM

Awesome! An easier way to order crappy sandwiches on "bread".

Subway to use Apple Pay in new self-order kiosks & iPhone preorders

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