Legal's Sea Food does that. Works great.

They also have other mobile devices for submitting orders. That....ehh not so much, as it sometimes takes a while to enter in special orders.

I actually dream of the day where, for instance, LSF has an iPhone app that lets you connect to their network, and submit your own order (maybe just apps or drinks to keep the humans employed) or call for a waiter, etc.

ermm this is already available at pretty much every sit down restaurant i've been to here (Toronto area)... and also for pizza delivery.

its actually been available for the better part of a year if i can remember correctly.

I haven't seen this, and this is the first I've heard of this... But after seeing a demonstration a couple years ago showing how insecure bluetooth really is, I'm extremely skeptical of this.

I'm not sure which is better though. Employee stealing your CC info while swiping your card, employee accidently overcharging you, or someone stealing your info over bluetooth.

@joelparkinson: You can pay at the table for pizza delivery? ಠ_ಠ

@joelparkinson:

the ones i've seen generally seem to be powered by cellular data, not bluetooth as well.

they are super handy, although the unit does get pretty hot when you're holding it.

@socalrob of the 24 and a half century:

Sorry, meant un-secure bluetooth is. It's sunday and brain is only working at 1/2 capacity lol.

Very cool - I'd like to see restaurants do this more, especially since I'm usually splitting a tab with friends - sounds like it would be easier....

@Morte:

:P i meant they bring the device to the door so you can use debit if you want.

This is the norm over in Europe, server brings wireless credit card machine to the table and you pay in front of them. Unfortunately it makes for awkward tipping moments...

@joelparkinson: It looks like the company that makes the units is based in Ontario, so that makes sense, but it's pretty new to us here in the US.

@Laura Northrup:

Yeah I just read that, i guess I just assumed they had them pretty much everywhere already.

Bluetooth is not the most secure.

They need to list which kind of encryption is in use. if there using something like a weak 64 bit encryption, it will become a good target for hackers because when a bluetooth headset uses something that weak, there many free apps out that in which if you have a bluetooth dongle that allows you to sniff traffic, you can easily record whats going on when someone is talking on their bluetooth. (I have done it to my own bluetooth headset)

Also credit card numbers don't change too often, if there using a very strong encryption, a malicious user can easily sniff encrypted traffic now and save it until a weakness in the encryption of until a more powerful processor and videocard comes out to speed up brute force attacks.

Why cant they just have the users go to a checkout counter and swipe the card through a wired card reader that is in plain view to reduce the risk of workers using card skimmers.

@socalrob of the 24 and a half century: Personally, I think it's much more likely that an employee with the physical card will be able to steal important numbers (ie -- my credit card num, expiration date, 3-digit "security" number) and then be able to use it online....really, all they need to do is guess my zip code, which would be easy considering I live in the boondocks.

It's much less likely that someone will be technically savvy enough to have the equipment set up to read the bluetooth. And frankly, if they've got the smarts and equipment for that, there's not much I can do to stop them. Granted, not 100% secure, but I'll take my chances against the technically-abled vs. someone with their hands on my physical card.

@joelparkinson: That would make things easier. Several times I've had the only payment option not register, and they've had to call back to the store to complete the order.

@sickyd: Yep. It is indeed all over Europe.

I used it years ago in dinky little places like Harstad, Norway, which is a few thousand people north of the Arctic Circle. And in tiny shops in little towns in Portugal. And on little Greek islands in the middle of the Mediterranean.

I'm in Silicon Valley every week, and have never seen it there. WTF is up with that?

Oh, and check the tipping customs wherever you're going. In large parts of Europe, you're not expected to tip at all. In Norway, wait staff makes about $18 an hour and they wouldn't know what to do with a tip. So it's only awkward if you make it that way.

@Morte: meant to say "online," not "only." -_-

@macinjosh: Yeah, except when I tried to buy an iPod Touch at the Apple Store, they had to drag out four of the Windows-powered PDAs they use to ring up transactions on the floor before they could get one to connect to their network. The irony was delicious. It was very sad that they almost couldn't make the sale because they rely on their competitor's crap.

@Razor512:

OR they could just wire the connection to the main server so it isn't wireless..

Those Ingenico devices are all over the place in Canada. The main reason why is due to the rollout of credit and (soon) debit cards with chips - they require you to enter a PIN instead of signing a piece of paper.

@sickyd: Why is the US always so far behind with stuff like this? Chip and PIN has been around for ages and cheques went out with the ark. Most retailers in the UK stopped taking them at all nearly two years ago.

@GC: And given the range on them, I'd imagine that they are actually using wifi, not bluetooth.

It's called cash, folks. Works great in restaurants, and can't be hacked.

@Herbz:

when it comes to security, wireless = fail, while wired can be less convenient, it is more secure, wireless allows users to sniff traffic and crack it at a later time when a weakness is discovered or when faster hardware comes out.

while the same can be done to wired, it is hard to do it in a way where no one will see you and the wired traffic can still be encrypted, or better yet a stronger encryption can be sued since high bandwidth wired devices are cheaper than high bandwidth for wireless.

@rdclark: Really, counterfeit money is the original financial hacking.

@socalrob of the 24 and a half century: Of course, if the actual data payload has its own set of encryption (similar to SSL on a website or the IKE encryption that makes a VPN work) between the table and the register/controller it wouldn't matter whether the BT connection was secure or not. Sure, someone may be able to sniff the traffic, but it would be nigh impossible to read the actual data being sent across it.

Everywhere we went in germany had this, even a small mom and pop pizzeria.

why don't they just carry credit card terminals around their necks like the people at the Apple store do

@rdclark: Unless you get mugged. I guess that's a pretty good cash hack.

@Skipweasel: Like anything, it's a matter of cost. I guarantee that if merchant processors made these systems available for the same price as that rickety swipecard machine next to the register at most places, you'd see them implemented in a heartbeat. As for now, they're anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand bucks per terminal.

@TVGenius: At all of the Apple stores I've been to, even if their handheld scanners were down they still had the ability to ring people up from the computers.

The best bit of this is being able to GTFO (without skipping) without waiting to flag your waitron down for the check, then to pick up the card, then to return with it.

Though the bluetooth is a bit worrying. It's probably the worst designed still in use protocol on the planet. But as long as they're using SSL over the link no problem. I'm sure they are... right? right? These guys aren't affiliated with anyone who makes voting machines, I hope.

I hate how incredibly illogical and inefficient going to a restaurant is, and I would love to see technology being used intelligently to improve the experience. Being able to pay at the table is a great start - that will cut out the time it always takes to look over the bill, slide your credit card into the folder, set the folder on the corner of the table, wait for the waitress to notice it, wait while she whisks it off into some back room to process it, wait for her to bring it back, then finally sign the damned thing and get out of there. (I'm all for lingering over a meal, but when the eating is all done and the last dregs of coffee have been drained and there's nothing else to do, I'd like to go home, thanks).

What I'd really like is to do away entirely with the whole antiquated system of relying on one fallible, often-overworked individual for service at restaurants. I hate spending half a meal in acute discomfort because my food is too salty and my waiter hasn't refilled my water in half an hour. I hate the intricate dance of neck-stretching, eye-catching and avoidance every time I need to get his attention. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I hate having to hastily swallow half-chewed mouthfuls of food every five minutes to assure my overly solicitous waitress that yes, everything is still fine, will you please go away and just let me eat now?

What I'm really saying is, we need stewardess-style buttons on each table. Need a waitress? Push the button, and a small light will illuminate above your table, ideally hooked into a master display board in the back room, and someone will come right over to you. Otherwise, they leave you alone. I've actually heard of places that do this, but I've never seen one in the wild.

@AppleAlex: because the waiters are also handling food and beverages that might destroy those machines

I was in Venezuela this past summer and all restaurants had 1 or 2 people in-charge of these mobile card swipe-ers and would go to your table. I enjoyed the convenience of it although they wouldn't let me leave a tip on the card.

Lucy's Seafood Kitchens have been doing this in Ontario at least since 2006, when I was on a long term assignment there. It was fantastic. Hit the percentage tip button I want, and no more over tipping! (Not that I minded, else I'd've not done it).

Here in Mexico City, it's also the norm at any major restaurant, as well as the gas stations (everything is full-service here).

So, yeah, kudos to you, Las Vegas restaurant, for getting modern after *both* the Canadians and the Mexicans!

They are used throughout Europe and they kick ass.

Bluetooth, really? I'd want to hear a lot more about the codes they're using to encrypt the data, as bluetooth is an insecure connection.

@Lokys: Maybe you should go to better restaurants.

@GC: Do you know if the change to chip cards is a banking industry initiative or was it mandated by government regulation?

@Herbz: A wired connection isn't going to be possible in a restaurant. You'd have to wire through the tables to the floor, and then the tables can't be moved, making cleanup much more difficult. I guess maybe if they were only booths or tables against the walls, it could work.

If these are implemented the way I suspect they have to by PCI standards, then the bluetooth communication's security isn't a big issue. Unless I miss my guess, the terminal shares a key with the bank (not with the computer in the restaurant - with the bank that will process the transaction). The terminal encrypts the card data with the key (crypto methods vary), and only the encrypted data ever leaves the terminal. It's a good system, and pretty much mandated by current PCI standards, if I understand correctly.

@rdclark: does cash give me money back on purchases and leave me only liable for $50 in purchases if someone steals my wallet?

I wonder if restaurants be begin setting the auto-tip to 18%, 20%, and 25% ;p

@socalrob of the 24 and a half century: I haven't seen this, but I would be more likely to pay with a credit card at restaurants (I currently only use cash) if they had this. I feel uncomfortable handing over my card to someone else (especially since I've had wait staff tip themselves a little extra or mischarge me in the past)

Experimenting with it?

I've seen these for about half a decade in Canada. I figured the US would be a bit *more* advanced than us, not *less*.

Weird.

@cc82: Yup, when cash is lost or stolen it's gone forever. When a CC is lost, stolen, or used fraudulently, the damage is minimal at worst (assuming you catch it early).

@dantsea:

Can't be by regulation, because the last two bank I've been with gave me non-chip cards (One of them being RBC in '08, and last month my credit union).

Also, a few months ago I get a new CC, still no chip. In fact, the only chipped card that goes in my wallet is my TD Visa, which never gets used because it has the highest rate.

I love being in the main original test center for chip cards (KW, Ont) and being someone without them. Either the retailer fumbles around to remember to swipe it, or I'm chuckling as I watch others fumble with their chip cards. Besides, the chip cards are WAY slower at the job (or the terminals just suck, either way, my swipe cards work fastest).

Uh. They've been doing this in the UK for a bit, now. Every place has one.

Six years ago, I had dinner at a restaurant in Ventura, California, paid via credit card. Next day, I saw 2 Shell gasoline charges for $50.00 each on my card for a station in North Las Vegas on the same day I was in Ventura . Turns out the restaurant waiter was part of a gang that stole credit card info. I did the necessary paper work to prosecute the crooks. ... I have only paid cash in restaurants ever seen. I will never, under any circumstances give my credit card to someone and let them walk off with it and come back later a common event in restaurants everyday. Uh, no way. No how.