Originally Posted by
hhdl
The casual dining chains have embraced the terminal at the table (more for the general labor savings for reordering drinks and the possibility of some extra revenue from games than any payment security considerations).
Those might be a reason why a lot of Americans aren't huge fans of pay at the table, too. Not many have seen the form that's most commonly used outside the US so "pay at the table" likely brings up experiences with the tablets (which are problematic).
One form that I kinda wish was more common was using devices from companies like TableSafe, which look like a normal billfold but with a display, keypad and card reader. Expense might be preventing that, though.