Why Many Restaurants in Guatemala Struggle to Accept Card Payments

Many tourism businesses in Guatemala looking to get set up with a traditional payment provider find that it can take months due to the paperwork and bank requirements. Frequently, their applications are rejected as tourism businesses are considered risky. The businesses end up only accepting cash, which can lead to lost revenue when tourists don’t have cash.

Many of the Little Spoon’s customers are travellers. They were initially only accepting cash payments, which meant regularly turning away sales.

The Little Spoon heard about Tab from other businesses nearby - a hostel and a hotel that were using Tab to accept payments from international guests. They signed up for an account, and were accepted the same week, compared to months with traditional providers. They can now accept card payments from any guest instantly.

How The Little Spoon Started Accepting Card Payments Without a Terminal

The Little Spoon runs Tab across three devices: two tablets kept at the front of the restaurant and an iPhone that waitstaff take to tables.

Customers can either come up to the front of the restaurant to pay, or a staff member brings the iPhone over, opens the Tab app, and the customer scans the QR code to pay from their own phone.

This means staff don’t need to handle cards, or wait at the table, freeing up their time during busy service.

“The QR code feature makes taking payments super quick, and we probably get a lot more guests by accepting card.”

— Danielle, The Little Spoon

When the customer is done, they'll show the confirmation on their phone on the way out, and the team double-checks the payment came through in the Tab app.

"We’ve seen consistently reliable performance with ****Tab. Charges have always gone through as expected, and any issues are always resolved."

— Danielle, The Little Spoon

The Little Spoon has three devices running Tab. Payments all come through to the same dashboard, so whoever's checking the system can see everything in one place.

Benefits of Accepting Card Payments with QR Codes in Restaurants

Danielle says that Tab’s straightforward onboarding process meant she saved months of lost revenue, and time applying for traditional payment providers.

If you're running a restaurant, café, or bar, Tab works the same way The Little Spoon uses it - taking payments from your customers through QR codes. Payments can be accepted on whatever phone or tablet you already have, directly at the table. Service can move quickly as staff don’t need to handle cards or wait for transactions to complete. There’s also no need to purchase a card terminal.

For restaurants serving international guests, this means fewer lost sales when customers don’t have cash, and a smoother experience from ordering to payment.

The Little Spoon is a restaurant in Guatemala. They've been using Tab since they opened.