And women aren't carrying much cash. It's a whole issue of convenience. So we see this as a real trend. In spite of convenience and heftier bills, however, most chains are not rushing to embrace credit. Although processing can be as quick as eight to 10 seconds, that can seem like a long time to someone waiting in line behind a credit-card user.
Fast food is supposed to be fast.
KFC spokesman Michael Tierney says that although credit cards are being tested in the Chicago area, there presently are no plans or discussions to expand. So far, credit cards seem to be most successful at chains where the majority of customers don't see the transactions or gauge how long they take to process. At Sonic, which was so pleased with test results last summer that it now accepts cards in all 280 of its company stores, customers are served in car stalls by roller-skating carhops. When the food arrives, the customer gives the carhop a credit card. I suspect there might be a difference if customers were standing at a counter.