Pizza Hut’s Japanese unit adds Masterpass for mobile ordering

Mastercard has expanded its relationship with Pizza Hut to support mobile ordering in Japan.

Pizza Hut customers in Japan may opt to order and pay by selecting Masterpass within the mobile app, following the fast-food chain’s integration of Mastercard’s digital wallet, the companies announced on Friday.

“Now with a simple verification using biometric or password, customers can complete an order in the Pizza Hut mobile application in three clicks…removing friction from the ordering experience,” said Vipul Chawla, managing director of Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia Pacific, in the release.

Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

The companies already supported Masterpass alongside a deployment of SoftBank's Pepper android as waiters in a handful of Pizza Hut locations in Asia.

The mobile integration was a natural step because Japan had an advanced user base for mobile apps, the companies said.

“In markets as technologically advanced as Japan’s, consumers constantly seek newer, fresher ways to interact with their favorite brands,” added Nandan Mer, Mastercard’s division president for Japan, in the release.

Mastercard expects quick-service restaurants to eventually be among the biggest adopters of Masterpass to streamline transactions for consumers and for restaurant operators, who say the digital wallet improves overall efficiency. Masterpass is available in 36 markets around the world.