McDonald's testing mobile payment app

McDonald's is testing a mobile-payment app in France Customers can pay via PayPal and pick up the food at a special line The system could spread to the chain's 33,500 restaurants The move is part of a growing cashless mobile-payment trend (CNN) -- As noted philosopher Vincent Vega said in "Pulp Fiction," the French may not know what a Quarter Pounder is. But McDonald's customers in Paris can now pay for a Royale with Cheese using their smartphones or tablets -- a concept that could spread to thcompany's 33,500 locations worldwide if the fast-food leader likes the results. Customers at 30 locations in France are now able to order their meals using the McDonald's mobile app, pay for it via PayPal, then join a separate line to pick up their food, according to a Reuters report. The trial is part of a rapidly growing consumer-service trend of skipping cash, and even credit cards, in favor of a quick tap from a mobile phone. Major retailers from Target to Best Buy to 7-Eleven have teamed up to create the Merchant Customer Exchange. The group is developing a mobile app that would allow customers to pay for goods at participating stores' registers with their smartphones. The app will also give users exclusive coupons and deals. Square, a mobile app and phone attachment created by one of the founders of Twitter, is gaining traction as a tool for small businesses to accept credit-card payments and this month signed a deal with Starbucks for the coffee behemoth to begin accepting payments through the app. And Google Wallet aims to be no less than a single tool that turns your phone into your wallet, driver's license and house key. PayPal, long a leader in Web transactions, is fighting to stay in the forefront of the mobile-payment game. In addition to the McDonald's deal, PayPal has signed up with such retailers as Home Depot. McDonald's showcased an even more in-depth mobile payment app earlier this year at a conference in Orlando, Reuters reports. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}