QSRs go digital as e-wallet use surges
As ordering moves to apps and kiosks, brands risk losing their identity.
The rapid adoption of QR (quick-response) codes and digital wallets across the Asia-Pacific region is forcing quick-service restaurant (QSR) chains to overhaul operations, as cash use declines and customers demand faster, more seamless service.
QR codes and e-wallets are now standard in parts of Southeast Asia and especially China, with cash becoming less common each year, Michael Bruce, Asia-Pacific director at The Wendy’s Company, told QSR Media.
Noncash transactions in the region are projected to reach 1.5 trillion by 2028, with digital wallets accounting for 66% of point-of-sale payments by 2027, according to Hamburg-based yStats.com GmbH & Co. KG.
The shift is prompting chains to redesign counters and drive-thrus, adjust staffing, and treat outlets as fulfilment hubs serving dine-in, takeaway, and delivery orders from a single system.
Large brands are moving past trials. Wendy’s FreshAI, a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered drive-thru system developed with Google Cloud Platform and piloted in Ohio in 2023, reduced service times by 22 seconds and achieved 99% order accuracy, Bruce said in an emailed reply to questions.
Still, technology is not a cure-all. “This is still a people-serving-people business,” he said. “AI and automation should help teams serve customers better, improving accuracy, reducing friction, and freeing up time for hospitality, rather than replacing the human connection that defines great brands.”
Pricing and value perception are also under pressure. Consumers are becoming more deliberate with spending.
“They are asking, ‘Is this worth it?’” Bruce said. Value now reflects the total experience—food quality, freshness, sourcing clarity, and consistency—not just price.
Southeast Asia highlights the stakes. Quick-service restaurants held a 42.2% share of the region’s foodservice market in 2025, according to Mordor Intelligence Pvt. Ltd. Bain & Co. found that one in four consumers would switch brands for better value.
Chains must keep entry prices accessible whilst offering a range of options, letting customers spend more for premium choices when the occasion calls for it, Bruce said.
Delivery continues to expand, but off-premise sales are no longer secondary, he said.
He noted that packaging has become central in markets where orders travel by scooter or bicycle. It must withstand heat, vibration, stacking, and weather whilst maintaining food quality.
At the same time, regulators and consumers are pressing for more sustainable materials, adding cost and operational constraints.
As ordering moves to apps and kiosks, Bruce warned that brands risk losing distinctiveness. Physical restaurants remain critical for expressing identity through design and service.
“The challenge is consistency without uniformity,” he said. “When customer service, brand values, and local culture stay in sync, brands don’t just scale, they stand out.”
Bruce is scheduled to discuss these shifts further and more at the upcoming QSR Media Asia Conference & Awards 2026 to be held at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel in Singapore on 24 March 2026.
