ALH Group, operator of more than 300 pubs in Australia, is to introduce a mobile payment service developed by Clipp that allows customers to “open, view, share and pay their bar tab or restaurant bill securely and instantly.”

Clipp is already used by 300 venues in Australia and allows pubs to use their existing POS terminals to close a customer’s bar tab.

To use Clipp, customers download the free iOS or Android app, enter their email address and link one or more credit cards. On arrival at a pub, they select it from the list of Clipp venues in the app, click to open a tab and select a limit on the bar tab.

“The app then communicates with their bank to check there are funds available and the screen displays a bar tab number once successful,” Clipp says. “The same bar tab number also appears on the screen at the venue’s POS.”

Customers can view real-time updates on their tab amount and settle up when they are ready to leave by simply closing their tab, “eliminating the need for queuing up at the bar”. A receipt is then sent to them by email.

“From a business perspective, having our venues integrated with Clipp has already improved productivity,” says Bruce Mathieson, CEO of ALH Group. “Staff behind the bar are spending less time handling card transactions and instead are able to serve customers faster and more efficiently.

“We’re always looking at innovative ways to improve the experience at our pubs and bars, and having Clipp in our venues will do just that.”

“Essentially, we’re convenience creators,” adds Greg Taylor, co-founder and COO at Clipp. “Staff at venues aren’t faced with the challenge of chasing a plastic card amongst a crowded bar and can instead focus on serving customers faster and more efficiently, which will improve the overall experience.”

“Clipp is also packed with useful features including a bar locator, the ability to review bars, and group tab sharing making it easier than ever to split bills and a built-in tipping functionality.”