OpenTable Is Testing a Mobile Payment Feature in SF

Reservation website OpenTable is looking to expand its services into the payment arena: The company announced via a blog post today that they are piloting a new "payments feature" with their mobile app.

Here's how it works: Before the meal, customers will add their credit card information into the OpenTable iPhone app. At the restaurant, customers will be able to "tap to pay" from their phones, meaning that restaurants would not need to drop a bill, swipe a card, or wait for a signature. For now the program is only being tested by a group of diners in select restaurants in San Francisco, but the company plans to add more diners to the pilot program "over the next few weeks."

OpenTable has been actively trying to expand its offerings lately. In a move that may or may not have been a response to Apple's recent patent application for a reservation and ordering system, OpenTable acquired "guest management system" developers Quickcue for $11.5 million in cash in December. Last year the company also announced new partnerships with the likes of Facebook, Urbanspoon, and Foodspotting to maintain its position at the top of the online reservation-making game.

· Pay Your Check with OpenTable Mobile: Pilot Payment Program Launches in San Francisco [OpenTable via TechCrunch]
· All OpenTable Coverage on Eater [-E-]