Food-court chain Food Republic has started accepting Visa PayWave contactless payments in its 15 outlets across Singapore.

“This is the first time in Southeast Asia we have introduced Visa PayWave acceptance in a food-court chain, which is a breakthrough given that food courts are a heavily cash-based category,” says Visa country manager for Singapore and Brunei Ooi Huey Tyng.  

Customers just wave their Visa PayWave-enabled card in front of a near-field communication (NFC) reader without the need for signatures or PINs.

“Food courts are a huge part of Singapore’s culture,” says Tyng. “At Food Republic, customers no longer need to fumble for cash when paying and can look forward to a speedier service at the payment terminals.

“Likewise, time-pressed service staff can attend to customers more quickly, which is especially critical during peak hours.”

Food Republic GM Andy Kiu says the system had a soft launch in June, with the contactless payments becoming more popular.

As part of the launch campaign, customers using the service this month will be offered a discount.