---
title: "Fast Casual: Mobile Orders Skyrocket in 2017, but 2 in 5 Still Use Cash"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/daf09aa5-372c-4ec1-a8c9-7186b50cc068
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-mobile-orders-skyrocket-in-2017-but-2-in-5-still-use-cash-2705898
category: "Fast casual"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Fast casual"
published: 2018-03-13T18:13:26.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:09:57.778Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/83ff2710de5f531b3daf9d49b2a6b4c74285.jpg
---

# Fast Casual: Mobile Orders Skyrocket in 2017, but 2 in 5 Still Use Cash

**TL;DR:** The number of restaurant visits paid for through mobile apps jumped 50% over the last year, but cash payment still accounts for two out of every five transactions. Customers are split on how they want to order and pay when dining out, with many using mobile apps for rewards and loyalty points.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2018-03-13. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-mobile-orders-skyrocket-in-2017-but-2-in-5-still-use-cash-2705898).*

## Story

Unsurprisingly, the number of restaurant visits that were paid for through a mobile app jumped 50 percent over the last year. But according to a new NPD study cited by Fast Casual, cash payment still has a prominent role in the industry. In fact, two out of every five restaurant visits are paid for in cash.

Even though the restaurant industry has been focused on technological innovation and mobile compatibility for the past few years, cash usage is something that franchisors in the restaurant industry will want to keep in mind. This new data from NPD indicates that customers are split on how they want to order and pay every time they dine out. However, app usage and mobile technology will continue to be the way of the future. The majority of customers will look to engage restaurant apps to earn rewards and loyalty points, receive specials and coupons and research menu items.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- restaurant industry (topic)
- FastCasual (publication)
- technological innovation (topic)
- mobile orders (topic)
- cash payment (topic)
- mobile compatibility (topic)

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Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/fast-casual-mobile-orders-skyrocket-in-2017-but-2-in-5-still-use-cash-2705898). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/daf09aa5-372c-4ec1-a8c9-7186b50cc068).