Announced today, all 243 of Krystal’s company-owned restaurants now accept payment by credit and debit cards and are also official “Krystal HotSpots,” offering free Wi-Fi Internet access to guests. Many of Krystal’s 180-plus franchise-operated locations also now offer the convenience of cashless payment and Wi-Fi access, with more to come.

“We’re … giving our customers payment choices, including the convenient option of paying with plastic, and we’re also making it simple for customers to connect to the Internet without any hassles or fees,” says Fred Exum, chief executive officer, The Krystal Company.

Since launching its first “Krystal HotSpot” in early 2003, Krystal has been one of the restaurant industry’s pioneers in providing free wireless Internet access, and with today’s announcement, Krystal is now the largest provider of free Wi-Fi of any fast food chain nationwide and the only chain that has extended Wi-Fi access to all company-owned locations.

“While other restaurant chains and businesses see Wi-Fi as an additional revenue source, Krystal views it as an added convenience for our
customers, and they’re returning the favor with their loyalty and patronage,” says Exum.

For the Wi-Fi equipped, the Krystal HotSpot is as simple as it gets: no special configurations necessary, no user name and password to enter, and best of all, no payments to deal with in order to go online. Krystal HotSpots use a broadband Internet connection that allows up to 32 users at one time to access the 802.11b hot spot, and all users have to do to gain access is search for “Krystal Hotspot” in the Service Set Identifier (SSID). In keeping with Krystal’s long-standing tradition of being a “family-friendly” environment, steps have been taken to block certain types of potentially objectionable material.

Krystal is also making the ordering easier than ever. With its new cashless payment option, customers can now pay with plastic rather than cash; for most transactions, customers are not required to sign the receipt. With the high-speed connection the cashless payment system uses and no need to sign a receipt, the average cashless transaction is much faster than paying with cash.

“In today’s fast-paced world, customers not only appreciate but have come to expect the convenience of cashless payment options,” says Exum. “Our customers now have the freedom to pay with a credit or debit card, and we know that’s something they’re happy about.”

All participating Krystal restaurants accepting cashless payment will feature accepted brand payment methods at the registers and drive-thrus to notify customers of their cashless payment options.