Ever experience that somewhat frustratingly long wait after having requested the bill from a restaurant? Or ever caught yourself trying in vain to even catch a waiter’s attention that by the end of it, you are quite literally fed up and take it upon yourself to head to the till? Ok maybe not, but still, it is one of those things that you don’t want to be kept waiting for.
Well, that dread of waiting for your bill to arrive at your table might no longer be an issue – for some 300 restaurants in London at least. Probably one of the best and most useful apps in town at the moment is the Velocity app , co-founded by childhood friends and ex Goldman Sachs employees, Zia Yusuf and Alex Macdonald. Of course, they were not the first to realize that restaurant-goers usually have to wait minutes till their bill arrives, but they are currently one of the few in the fintech world to deliver an app that is truly changing the way restaurants utilize mobile payment.
The way it works? Easy. All you need to do after downloading the app is register either via Facebook or manually, after which you can insert payment details. Would you like to use more than one card? Go ahead – Velocity even lets you divide between corporate and personal use. Then, check into a restaurant venue and tell your waiter that you are with Velocity. The best thing is, you can see your bill in real-time and even split the bill if you are looking to share the cost of a meal between friends.
Currently, Velocity has raised $12 million in series A funding. It has partnered with over 300 restaurants in London (a few of your favorites – Burger & Lobster, Sketch, including some Michelin starred restaurants too) with plans to launch in New York, major cities across the United States, Europe and Asia.
Not only is the app useful, it is also highly aesthetically appealing and easy to navigate. Furthermore you can unlock rewards and benefits by way of rating your experience after a meal. The app is definitely for the savvy restaurant-goer – we know, we are already using it.
