Just worry about paying for parking

CASHLESS, PAYER-LESS: FINE DINING MADE EASIER Simply pick a spot and meal, pay and pitch for your date.

There’s a new method to gift those you care about, particularly those who enjoy excellent dining. Dineplan has created an app that allows you to book and pay for a meal in advance, eliminating the need to carry cash. The voucher is much more enjoyable to use because you can personalise it with the recipient’s information and a message, making it an ideal gift for birthdays, Mother’s Day, and Valentine’s Day.

My experience of booking through the app was relatively simple, the first step was to create a profile, select a restaurant, pick a meal price and the number of people dining, and then pay for the voucher and get a code.

When you arrive at the restaurant, you enter the code to pay for the entire meal cashless.

Fine dining restaurants such as Maximillen at Da Vinci in Sandton, are among the app’s service providers, and once you make your reservation, the restaurant will phone to confirm the booking and dates, giving you plenty of opportunity to cancel if needed. This was the restaurant I picked, as I wanted an intimate night of fine dining with a stunning view.

Adding something new to the experience is that gift-givers can purchase vouchers from the Dineplan website and app, where they can enter the recipient’s information and a customised message.

The voucher can be issued immediately or scheduled on a certain date and time.

After securing the booking and getting to the restaurant the process was seamless, the pleasant serving staff at Maximillen accepted the voucher code, which I stored on my phone in PDF format, and I enjoyed a hearty meal. The best part was not having to produce a card or cash when paying.

This works in a country where carrying cash can be a hazard or if the meal is a gift and the gifter cannot be present. The vouchers provide recipients the freedom to choose from over 200 partner restaurants and gourmet experiences across South Africa.

Whether they choose pasta, hamburgers, or cocktails and karaoke, the options are practically unlimited.

Having experienced the voucher, I was curious about how long it is valid and found out it’s three years from the date of purchase and can be redeemed in full or in part at numerous establishments.

However, each redemption requires a minimum of R50. Recipients can check their balance by logging into the Dineplan app or scanning the voucher QR code with their mobile device.

The app makes dining and gifting easier for the consumer but how is it benefitting restaurants?

In response, Dineplan growth marketing manager Paige Errera said: “Restaurants across the country can now tap into this lucrative market, currently valued at $820 million (about 15 billion) and set to grow by 5% over the next seven years. This opens up new avenues for revenue for the restaurants while providing greater exposure and access to new guests. International guests may not feel comfortable swiping their bank cards or using cash for safety reasons. With the app, everything is covered upfront.”

Now the only thing you have to worry about is paying for parking!