Mobile Payment App Dash Launches in Chicago, Announces National Expansion

Dash — another app that allows diners to pay for their check using their smartphones — has expanded to Chicago. The app was founded in New York City and currently works with around 50 restaurants in the city. According to a press release, Dash has partnered with 20 restaurants in Chicago — including Table 52, Kuma's Too, and Zapatista — and has plans to "expand rapidly" by the end of the year. The company plans to be in at least 15 new markets by the end of 2015 including Boston, Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC.

The app allows diners and bar-goers to pay for their bill without having to wait for a server to bring the check at a busy restaurant. Diners are able to tell a host or server at a participating restaurant that they want to pay with Dash upon arrival, at which point the app connects to the eatery's POS system. App users can then view items ordered in real-time on their phones and can even invite friends to facilitate splitting the bill. The bill is then paid using credit card information stored in the app.

Dash has many competitors in the restaurant payment app space. Cover — which recently raised $5.5 million in funding — also allows users to split the check and is in over 100 restaurants across New York City and San Francisco. OpenTable also recently launched a mobile payment app that works with over 45 restaurants in NYC.