January 5,2007

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  Fast Food Gets Faster

  If you are a fan of drive-through dining, you may have noticed a major trend last year. Eateries such as McDonald's and Wendy's, long-time holdouts against accepting credit cards, began to jump on the plastic bandwagon in droves. What has led to this wave of credit card acceptance? There are several factors.

  
  First of all, taking credit/debit cards makes fast food... well, faster. Most orders can be filled in seconds due to the way that such restaurants prepare and serve their menu items, so most of the holdup previously as at the till. Fumbling for exact change and handing back cumbersome stacks of singles that a customer must then arrange in their wallet is a thing of the past. Plus, most fast food joints are covered in Visa's "no signature required on purchases under $25" policy, so payment is literally a matter of flicking the wrist.

  
  Additionally, fast food's switch to plastic may indicate understanding of consumer psychology. Over-dependence on either credit cards or fast food is unhealthy. However, there is nothing Americans like better!
  
  
  
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