How MFA Makes Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) Promotion

The restaurant industry is still adapting to the pandemic's digital-first paradigm, but online order volume for quick-service restaurant QSR companies is increasing and is not going away anytime soon. In fact, taking advantage of the marketing opportunities given by this new normal is becoming mission-critical for QSR businesses.

A multi-factor authentication is a form of authentication service in which a user is required to provide two or more verifications in order to gain access to a resource such as an application, an online account, or a VPN. Multi-factor authentication should be part of every robust identity and access management policy.

Why Should Restaurants Implement MFA?

MFA's main advantage is that it improves your company's security by requiring users to identify themselves with more than simply a login and password. Usernames and passwords can be stolen by third parties and are vulnerable to brute force assaults, despite the fact that they have been used for a long period.

Using multi-factor authentication (MFA) elements such as a fingerprint or a genuine hardware key increases your restaurant's confidence in its ability to defend itself against hackers.

MFA's Three Factors

The majority of MFA authentication methods use one of three types of additional data:

• You are familiar with passwords and PINs, for example.
• Personal belongings, such as a badge or a smartphone
• Fingerprints and voice recognition are examples of biometrics.

In an interview with PYMNTS, Vikram Dhawan, vice president and senior product leader at Kount, an Equifax company, warned that QSRs and other merchants must protect their promotions and customers' accounts in order to strengthen their defenses against an attack by faceless, digitally mounted attackers.

According to a PYMNTS poll, 44 percent of respondents said they were more likely to order from restaurants that offered specials or discounts. This situation, according to Dhawan, allows for marketing abuse and fraud.

Monitoring Endpoints

In the face of such volume increases, fraudsters find new ways to try account takeover tactics, he added. To prevent account takeovers, merchants must first understand the endpoints of a transaction.

He discussed Kount's technology, which allows clients to monitor how many accounts are generated from a single endpoint device like a phone, laptop, or tablet. Hundreds, if not thousands, of accounts arriving from a single endpoint, indicates a problem.

Many shops require email addresses for signups, but he pointed out that creating an email account can be done for free and for an endless period of time these days. He claims that his company's "Email Insights" service can provide data on an email's "reputation," such as if it was sent recently and how often it could be used. Restaurants and retailers can choose to block account creation or divert customers to an alternative authentication method.

The Balancing Act

There is a delicate balance to be struck when it comes to anti-fraud measures and consumer experiences. Raising the barrier excessively high so that no one, including true consumers, is harmed.

Based on their business operations, merchants must select how high to raise the threat level and to what extent to implement payment authentication difficulties.

He noted that in an age where digital transformation, online ordering, and online marketing, particularly among QSRs, will continue even after the epidemic, the need to deploy contemporary technology and acceptable levels of friction will be even more critical.