RAIL: Innovative Dining Technology Prevents Fraud

Chances are, you know someone who has fallen victim to identity theft. Often, the theft is discovered via a stolen credit card, and the victim is left holding a hefty bill. While many cases of credit card fraud are discovered through online shopping, identity theft can begin inside a restaurant.

As customers, we hand over our credit cards and are left to worry whether or not our information will be kept private. We hope that it will, but the uncertainty remains. Not every person is trustworthy. However, we may now have another option to ensure our private information remains secure.

Viableware, a technology based company from Kirkland, Washington, designs, builds, and sells software and hardware products intended to replace traditional bills in restaurants. The company's first product, RAIL, is a patented digital bill folder that enables restaurant customers to self-swipe credit or debit cards at the table.

The product maintains the traditional look and feel of the bill presentation folder diners are used to seeing at their restaurant table. Yet at the touch of a finger, guests can split a bill, auto-calculate tips, and email a receipt to themselves or to colleagues.

LED lights on the RAIL indicate to the server when the payment has been completed, if cash payment is inside the closed folder, or whether the guest needs assistance.

RAIL devices provide an unprecedented level of credit card theft protection for consumers. The system also reduces the restaurant's exposure to expensive PCI security based compliance costs and fines by encrypting each card transaction directly at the time of the card swipe. Viableware's at-the-table payment system integrates directly with existing POS (point-of-sale) systems.

Restaurants can now securely accept credit and debit cards, NFC (near field communications), smartphone, Chip & PIN (currently used in 92 other countries), as well as online payments.

The system also provides a digital platform for advertising, touch screen surveys, frequent diner programs, gift card purchases, and other programmable applications that enable restaurants to communicate with their patrons in a way never available to them in the past.

Although the use of this innovative dining technology may cost restaurants a monthly fee, it is one bill that is well worth the money spent. The prevention of identity theft is essential and customers may be willing to endure an increase in dining to cover the cost of the technology and to ensure their credit card information remains private. Afterall, you can't place a price tag on idenity. That itself is priceless.

Information Courtesy: Viableware
Images Courtesy: Viableware, Viableware on Facebook