McDonald’s, Telpo customize self

New self-service ordering kiosks for McDonald's restaurants in China enable customers to pay with face recognition.

Chinese terminal provider Telpo is supplying the 27-inch kiosks, which will let customers punch in their orders using a touchscreen, similar to how ordering works at kiosks in McDonald's North American franchises. The Telpo K20, jointly customized by McDonald's and Telpo, offers several contactless payment options. In addition to payment via financial-grade facial biometrics, the kiosk has a contactless card reader, a 3D structured light camera, a QR code reader and NFC payment capabilities.

The kiosks are based on a modular design for simpler repair, and are able to change between Android and Windows operating systems without the use of a physical switch.

In a case study on its website, Telpo says McDonald's has been testing self-service kiosks since 2003, which has "improved the efficiency of meal preparation and delivery, relieved customers from waiting in line, and brought significant sales growth."

"However," it says, "the various IT devices currently used in McDonald's stores have different manufacturers and different versions, and there are difficulties in operation and maintenance, complicated processes, and inability to maintain remotely." Telpo says the K20 kiosks can make remote maintenance easier, and centralize management of the fast food giant's in-store ordering system.

Telpo notes it also provides a unified remote operation and maintenance management platform for McDonald's China.

The rapidly-expanding Telpo has also grown in China, bringing its Telpo K7 self-service kiosk to supermarkets run by Aeon, the largest retailer in Asia. The K7, which will be in Aeon supermarkets throughout China, has a slim, 21.5-inch touchscreen but boasts the same high-speed thermal printer as the K20, and also offers payment by facial recognition, QR code and external EFT-POS payments.

"Under the influence of the COVID-19 epidemic and new retail trends, customers have higher requirements for non-contact checkout and shopping," reads a shared Telpo case report on the Aeon deployment. "In this context, Aeon turned its eyes to self-service kisoks."

Telpo says the machines will reduce the spread of viruses by offering a contactless experience, and improve customer experience. But it is up front about the savings in human cost that the self-service kiosks represent.

"Fewer cashiers are needed," says the report. "One staff can monitor at least four self-service kiosks, which greatly improves cashier efficiency and saves labor costs. In addition, compared to human cashiers, self-service kiosks can work for 24 hours every day all the year around. Operators don't have to pay overtime on holidays."

Telpo, or Telepower Communication Co., Ltd., was founded in 1999, and is headquartered in Guangdong, PRC, with offices India, Nigeria, the U.S. and Sri Lanka, as well as an additional 28 overseas centers.

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