Interesting that there's still places like that over there. I thought that Dubai was one of the countries that did chip and PIN (vs. chip and signature) so they'd have a contingency for that sort of thing.

Square actually started in the US. It's probably why a lot of smaller businesses actually take cards at all, to be honest--credit card processing agreements used to be (and can still be if not careful) a minefield.

I recently used a Ziosk for the first time at a Red Robin (in fact, Samsung Pay was running a promotion to use them). I agree with others that it's awkward to have it taking up table space, but functionally it worked great. The options to call the server or add additional items to your meal were nice to have. However, it would be nice if there was a way to hide it until needed.

In the US I've seen pay-at-the-table devices at Red Robin, Chili's, and Uno. I definitely like the ability to review the bill and pay at the table without going through traditional dance of waiting for (or having to ask for) the bill, waiting for the server to pick up my credit card, waiting for the card to come back after processing (and wondering who's doing what with it during that time), then signing the receipt and leaving it on the table.

That said, I've noticed a few drawbacks with these devices. One, in some cases they're distracting because they flash advertisements constantly and can't be disabled. Two, at small tables they can take up too much space. And Three, as these devices reduce the number of visits servers have to make to each table on average, some restaurant managers seem to overcompensate by reducing the number of wait staff too sharply. Having a "Call server" button to press is no good if it still takes 5+ minutes for the server to respond because s/he's overloaded with work!

I don't feel like they reduce the load on the waitstaff all that much. In my personal experience using the Ziosks they only seem to be mandatory for credit card payment; I've still ordered food and drinks through the server no problem and other people I've eaten with have been able to pay cash the "old" way too. Of course, that might just be the particular locations I've been to.

I generally prefer to pay cash if at all possible as I can just put it on the table (with a small tip) then leave when I want.

I do find it comfortable, when paying with card, if they have a portable terminal that they take to the table. However I also don't mind walking to the cashier if necessary.

In holland it's maybe 50/50 whether they have a portable terminal or not, maybe a bit more common that you have to walk to the cashier.

I would be very uncomfortable if my card were taken out of my sight. I would always walk with them to see how they process the payment. Cards being taken out of my sight never happened to me then again I have never been to the US. Even in Brazil they don't do that though (probably quite logical, no brazilian would trust people taking away their cards, haha).

Agreed - it's the most basic no-no of credit card security if the card is taken out of the cardholder's sight. I'm amazed that, in the US, it's not only permitted but regarded as normal.

Telling the PIN to the cashier would be a basic breach by the cardholder of his agreement with the issuing bank, which breach should, in theory, lead to the bank denying any liability for any fraud subsequently committed on the card.

We used to have the same system in Canada until a few years ago and it seemed normal at the time. But now that I'm used to chip and pin at home, it seems strange when traveling in the US that waiters still take your card away to process out of sight.

At-table payment methods that I'm familiar with are convenient, especially if you are on a schedule or it is busy and you don't want to flag down your server. Not sure about the out of countries machines, though.

That's assuming they work, though. I can't tell you how many problems I have had at Friendly's because the waitress didn't close the check properly, or the machine was low on batteries or had a paper jam, or the Ziosks were at the wrong tables. The way other countries have the waiter carry around one machine seems a better idea, but then there is always an issue waiting for the machine, and since it seems to take longer to process than normal transactions, there is always a hold up.