US quick-service restaurant chain Taco Bell has launched a mobile ordering and payment app that lets customers place their orders through a customisable menu and complete a payment using a stored Taco Bell card, credit card or debit card before arriving at the counter.

The app includes ‘Rotate to Reorder’, a patent-pending feature “that makes reordering customised favourites as easy as a flick of the wrist.” The app also gives users exclusive offers and information about new items as well as letting them buy, add and reload their Taco Bell cards and give and get Taco Bell e-gifts.

A video shows a demonstration of the mobile app in action, including the ‘rotate to reorder’ feature:

“Decades ago, your car keys were the ticket to convenience at the drive-thru,” says Taco Bell president Brian Niccol. “Today, as food culture changes and generations grow up with smartphones, our customers seek restaurant experiences that fit their lifestyle.

“We believe mobile ordering and payment is the biggest innovation since the drive-thru. Our new mobile ordering app is just the beginning of how we’re using technology to break down the walls of our restaurants and become more transparent with our customers about our food.”

“We began this journey two years ago because we knew it was important to listen and know exactly what the consumer wants in a mobile experience,” Tressie Lieberman, senior director of digital marketing and platforms at Taco Bell, adds.

“The Taco Bell mobile ordering app delivers location based ordering, a secure payment system and personalization — all while unlocking the Taco Bell kitchen and ingredients like never before. These features are just the beginning. We’ll continue to listen to our community and evolve the app to meet their needs in a way only Taco Bell can.”

Taco Bell and its more than 350 franchises have nearly 6,000 restaurants across the US that serve more than 36 million customers every week.