In what Mastercard claims is a world first for a restaurant chain, the app will offer customers the ability to walk in, order, eat and walk out without even needing to hit a pay button.

UK-based wagamama was the first restaurant to use Mastercard Labs’ Qkr! pay-at-table platform in 2015 but is now also using Mastercard APIs for its own-brand option that makes ordering and payments even more seamless.

By connecting to a Masterpass digital wallet, payment can be taken automatically from the app without the need to hit a pay button. Available for free on iOS and Android, wagamamago also allows customers to order more items from their phone, split the bill and order takeaway.

Research shows that it takes an average of 12 minutes between asking for the bill to leaving the restaurant, and customers are four times less likely to recommend a restaurant if they have had a bad ‘bill experience’.

Richard Tallboy, CIO, wagamama, says: "We wanted to bring truly frictionless payment to restaurants as we know waiting for the bill is frustrating, why shouldn’t you be able to get up and go when you are ready: well, now you can.

"No more waving your hand in the air, trying to catch the waiter’s eye, once you’re ready you just go, and customers are automatically charged with the receipt emailed directly. Getting the bill is the last thing a customer experiences and it was important that this be quick and stress free for our customers."

Jennifer Macrae, VP, innovation, Mastercard, adds: “We want to make payments easier than ever, whilst also keeping them secure. We are bringing our digital ordering and payment technology - Qkr - into an app tailor-made for wagamama’s loyal customers."