Strike, a start-up that has developed a contact-free tipping solution, has partnered with food chain Camile Thai to allow its customers to tip delivery drivers directly.
The brainchild of Oli Cavanagh and Charles Dowd, Strike has come up with patent-pending technology that seeks to resolve problems that have arisen from the demise of cash.
With the shift towards a cashless society, people working in sectors such as hospitality have all lost out on tips, while charities have also seen lower donations.
Strike is looking to bring these back through its lightweight, portable personal payment technology, which is designed to make small payments frictionless.
The technology allows workers to accept tips with customers simply tapping their phone against a tag worn by the individual, or through scanning a QR code included on their delivery receipt. The payment is made through Apple Pay, Google Pay and digital cards, with the tip credited instantly.
The solution does not require payment terminals or for customers to download a mobile app. In addition to tags that can be worn, the company has also wristbands, fobs and little pucks that can be attached to charity boxes and other objects.
‘Cautious about handling cash’
Camile Thai is the first company to go live with Strike’s technology, although companies working across a number of sectors, including transportation, hospitality and retail have trialled the technology, as have some charities.
The chain’s co-founder Brody Sweeney said that while food deliveries had risen significantly during the coronavirus crisis, the fact that most people now rarely use cash meant that drivers have lost out significantly on tips over the last year.
“Our Camile driver network appreciates being rewarded for good service, especially personally from our regular customers,” said Mr Brody.
“Tipping is an expression of thanks, appreciation and recognition. However, Covid altered things dramatically and both drivers and Camile customers are nervous and cautious about handling cash,” he added.
Mr Brody said the company will issue the Strike tags to all its delivery drivers locally. Camile Thai has 35 outlets across Ireland and Britain currently. Last month, it announced plans to create 300 jobs across the group as part of a plant to open 15 new outlets. It also plans automated kitchen operations and drone deliveries.
Strike was founded last year as a direct result of the Covid crisis after Mr Cavanagh struggled to tip workers on a number of occasions because he didn’t have cash on him. Prior to establishing Strike, Mr Cavanagh co-founded peer-to-peer lender Flender.
Mr Dowd meanwhile, formerly founded and led Plynk, a payments company that was forced into liquidation when financing raised as part of a €25 million funding round was withdrawn. More recently, he has served as chief product officer with another payments start-up, CleverCards.
