Introducing

OpenTable pay

Our aim was to tackle the challenges faced during social group dining experiences, which was a crucial moment for OpenTable as they expanded into new offerings such as ticketed events, delivery, and grocery delivery. To propel these services further and sustain momentum, it was necessary to introduce payment capabilities. The expected outcome was to differentiate ourselves from competitors by providing a unique and comprehensive solution.

Team : Lead Product designer, Product Manager, Copywriter, 2 developers, 2 QA analysts, Data scientist

Stakeholders : Director of product, Engineer Director

Timeline : 2 months years to complete

Contributed : Strategy, research, designs

Strategy

Our long-term goal was to provide diners with a hassle-free way of dining, where they could walk in and out of the establishment without taking out their wallet. To achieve this, we created an innovative post-booking experience to set OpenTable's dining service apart from the rest.

Milestone 1 : Allow diners to view their check

Milestone 2 : Allow diners to pay their check

Milestone 3 : Allow guests to pay for ticketed events and delivery

Milestone 4 : Allow diners to split the check

Value

Diners : can seamlessly view and pay their check without waiting on their server.

Owners : their business can support the needs of their customers

Servers : removes the hassle of splitting the tab

Research (owners + servers)

Insights

Servers want to say goodbye to their customers
Servers make mistakes, and allowing customers to see the mistakes brings insecurity. Especially new servers.
Owners worried about unclear errors. Is the error coming from OT or the card provider?
What happens if connectivity is low or down?

Brainstorm

I initiated the project by leading a brainstorming session involving individuals from various disciplines within the organization. Typically I send out a signup list and have folks join. The primary objective of the brainstorming session was to gain deeper insights into user preferences, behaviors, and expectations by closely examining their interactions with ordering apps.

Scenarios

Once we had research from sellers, owners, and diners we ran through some scenarios to determine what we should build.

OTPay needs to be more convenient than using a card or cash. (total, itemized, evenly)
We will only offer pay with the ability to give tips
What about pre-fixe menus? Support modifiers? Errors?
Account for different tipping and behavioral norms around the world.
Does it require behavioral change for servers? Training?
The ability for diners to export business meals for expenses.
Account for ticketing, experiences, takeout, specials, offers, etc...