McDonald’s Korea drive-throughs to soon accept Hi-pass automatic payments

McDonald’s drive-through customers in Korea will soon be able to pay for their meals automatically using the highway toll collection Hi-pass system, the fast food chain said Thursday.

McDonald’s Korea signed a memorandum of understanding with Korea Expressway Corporation, Shinhan Card, and KIS Information & Communication at the fast-food chain’s headquarters in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Wednesday, to implement the Hi-pass system into the McDonald’s drive-through for automatic payments.

This is the first time that the Hi-pass system will be applicable to drive-through services.

The system will enable customers to pay for their meals automatically when entering the drive-through lane. McDonald’s is also planning to install scanners that will be able to detect barcodes from far distances so that customers will be able to scan promotion coupons from their cars.

Test operations of the service will begin at two of its drive-through locations in Goyang, Gyeonggi, and Songpa District, southern Seoul, starting Dec. 20. It will be expanded to 30 stores within the first half of next year.

Currently, around 60 percent of McDonald’s locations in Korea have drive-through services.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]