Restaurants begin to embrace pay at the table technology

Slowly, restaurants are adopting new technology that lets you pay directly at your table so your card never leaves your hand.

Go to a restaurant in Europe or Asia and chances are they'll settle your tab table side. A waiter will walk up with a mobile machine that lets them dip your card and take your payment instantly. Here in the US, you rarely see this sort of technology in action.

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Of course, all of this new technology comes with costs to the restaurant - keeping these devices charged, the software up to date and running properly requires time and an investment. Which is why chances are, you'll still see that slip of paper when it's time to pay the tab.