In 2020, fast-food titan McDonald’s pulled in over $5.42 billion in global revenue, despite the impact of the coronavirus. Analysts credit the company’s pointed investment in digital media—digital orders (excluding delivery) more than tripled since the pandemic first hit, and McDonald’s responded by placing resources behind drive-thru technology and its mobile app.
A new addition to the McDonald’s tech stack is Sift—we’re thrilled to announce that we’re partnering with the iconic Golden Arches to prevent fraud and streamline the customer experience on its mobile app in high-growth markets across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
Investing in a fraud-free future
Available on the App Store and Google Play, the McDonald’s mobile app allows customers to order and pay for menu items for drive-thru and curbside pickup, contactless mobile order and pay, and exclusive deals all in one place.
“Our customers have made it clear that they want the option to order and pay for their favorite McDonald’s meals using mobile devices,” said Leandro Balbinot, Senior Vice President Technology – Product Engineering & Data at McDonald’s. “With the use of Sift’s technology, McDonald’s will continue to expand our mobile ordering channel around the world and keep our customers satisfied.”
McDonald’s will have access to Sift’s cutting-edge machine learning technology and powerful global data network for customers using the McDonald’s mobile order-ahead and contactless payment options, an increasingly popular option among consumers trying to stay socially distant as the pandemic persists.
Adding Digital Trust & Safety to the mobile menu
Traditionally, trust and safety has been so challenging for quick-service restaurants that eliminating fraud meant adding major friction points during the customer journey, or simply accepting the risk because the alternative was too complicated and time consuming. With an average open-to-order period of just a few minutes (or less), there’s no time for manual review or verification by analysts, and adding security checkpoints—like MFA or CAPTCHA—can quickly drive eager diners away
With Sift, McDonald’s will proactively prevent payment abuse and streamline operations for its mobile app in select countries, and grow online order channels by stopping fraudsters from eating revenue—or the food that trusted customers paid for.
“For quick-service restaurants, getting the user experience right—especially on mobile apps—while preventing fraud can be a difficult balancing act,” said Marc Olesen, CEO & President of Sift. “We’re excited to be a part of McDonald’s Digital Trust & Safety strategy that enables them to streamline the customer experience associated with mobile orders.”
To learn more about implementing Digital Trust & Safety for quick-service restaurants (QSRs), download our step-by-step guide.