Clever new Banba app makes timely entrance as businesses take account of public health concerns this Christmas.
A new app called Banba enables contactless food and drink ordering in pubs, restaurants, cafes and other venues, cutting down on wait times.
Devised and developed by a team based in Ireland, and supported by BOI Payment Acceptance, Banba eliminates queues and wait times at venues and is making a timely entrance to the market as businesses take account of the public health concerns surrounding Covid-19.
“The app splits food and drink orders, so there is no confusion between staff when processing orders, and you can order another round with as little as one-click”
The app enables mobile-contactless-ordering through Click & Collect, Table Service, and Counter-Collection, which can be used in accordance with public health guidelines.
Banba bing!
“This app was being developed before we had even heard of Covid-19, as a solution to the lengthy queues at bars and cafes, so the user experience for the customer and the staff was always the most important thing for us,” explained Banba CEO and founder Cormac O’Riordan.
“The app splits food and drink orders, so there is no confusion between staff when processing orders, and you can order another round with as little as one-click.
“A lot of our competitors have advertised that they are offering a ‘subscription-free’ solution during the pandemic, but unfortunately in most instances the venue owner is still being hit with high transaction charges and fees.
“This is why from the outset that the Banba team sought to align ourselves with a nationally recognised payments provider, who could offer a very competitive transaction rate for our customers.”
Seamless payment experience
Although a number of competitors exist in the market, Banba’s exclusive strategic partnership with BOI Payment Acceptance separates it from the competition, allowing it to provide great value and a seamless payment experience.
“We do recognise the pain that the hospitality sector has experienced this year, and because of that we are waiving all commission fees for orders generated between now and Christmas”
“This is a really exciting partnership for us,” said Brian Cleary, managing director of BOI Payment Acceptance.
“If we look across the food and beverage industry, mobile-contactless-ordering through apps is becoming the norm and the pub, cafe, and restaurant sectors are ripe for positive disruption. The team at Banba has an incredible product, which when combined with our payments technology will provide a contactless ordering solution that works for both the venue and the customer. We see this partnership going far beyond Covid. No one likes queuing and waiting, and this app really does take the pain out of that aspect of the experience. It is seamless and intuitive”, says Cleary.
Banba is now available to download, and bars can sign up on the Banba website: www.banba-app.com. Consumers can download the app for free from their app store.
“We are launching in Ireland but are talking to several investors about expanding to the UK and across Europe, maybe even further afield,” explained Banba CTO and co-founder Mick Corcoran.
“A number of Apps, like ours, have come and gone, primarily due to the cost to venue owners. Businesses are really struggling at the moment, and we recognise that a costly solution simply isn’t viable. For instance, if you look at our Click & Collect solution, we charge a 1pc commission and have the lowest transaction charges on the market, whilst some of our competitors are charging upwards of a 25pc commission. That is why our partnership with BOI Payment Acceptance is so important, and eventually we hope it will allow us to gain widespread adoption within the Irish market and beyond.
“We do recognise the pain that the hospitality sector has experienced this year, and because of that we are waiving all commission fees for orders generated between now and Christmas. Safe socialising is going to be so important over the Christmas period, and we fully believe our solution is best placed to increase sales in hospitality venues through order efficiency and enhancing the overall customer experience for pub and cafe-goer’s alike. Our research shows that venues who tested Banba have reported an increase in efficiency in staff time, allowing them to focus more on customer satisfaction and productivity,” said Corcoran.
Pictured: Banba CTO Mick Corcoran
By John Kennedy (john.kennedy3@boi.com)
Published: 14 December 2020
