McDonald’s & Adyen Bring Mobile App Partnership to U.S.

This is a really interesting announcement that synthesizes many of the trends we have been writing about in payments. While arguably late to the party with a mobile app, McDonald’s cuts to the head of the line in omnichannel by enabling stored payment credentials to be used seamlessly at counter, kiosk, or drive-thru with the same customer experience. The common CX through the mobile app not only delivers an easy-to-use and repeatable experience for the consumer, it also standardizes payments operations in the back office across channels for McDonald’s. What’s more, this is exactly the type of environment that illustrates the power of what’s being called “embedded payments,” where the payment process is not just simply attached to the order workflow, it runs seamlessly in the background as part of primary workflow. Adyen’s capabilities with tools like real-time account updater ensure that the payment flow runs reliably in the background, embedded in the order process, and does not become a source of friction for the customer. Lastly, this is a huge win for Adyen as they demonstrate successful execution of their strategy to expand in the US by leveraging existing customer relationships in the EU and elsewhere.

Overview by Don Apgar, Director, Merchant Services Advisory Practice at Mercator Advisory Group