Jack in the Box is testing Google Wallet in 35 of its restaurants in the Los Angeles and San Francisco markets.

Jack in the Box is one of the first QSRs to actively trial the technology, aside from Subway, which was one of the first companies across industries to participate in Google's field tests. Subway began offering the option in five markets in the fall, with global adoption expected in 2012.

Brian Luscomb, Jack in the Box's director of corporate communications, said the company decided to test the mobile payment platform because more people are becoming reliant upon technology to help facilitate their retail experience.

"Convenience is a huge driver of guest satisfaction at quick-service restaurants, and if we can leverage technology to make the process of ordering and paying faster and easier for our guests, then it makes sense to explore opportunities like Google Wallet," he said.

Preparation began five years ago

 Jack in the Box began embracing mobile commerce strategies – namely contactless payments – about five years ago. At that time, many restaurants in the system were equipped with hardware – the same hardware required by Google Wallet – that enabled guests to pay for their order by tapping certain credit cards or mobile devices on the reader.

"Although some guests will always prefer face-to-face interaction with an employee and pay for their order with cash, a growing number of our customer base is used to mobile commerce and see it as a more convenient way to transact business," Luscomb said.

Jack in the Box has not set a timeframe on how long the trail period will last, but plans to continue embracing the mobile space heading into 2012.

"In addition to evaluating results from the Google Wallet test, we'll continue to explore opportunities to leverage technology to enhance our guests' experience. That includes continued evaluation of mobile platforms," Luscomb said.

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