Megan Foley pays for her meal at Deli-Boys in Cleveland, Tenn., Monday with the “Level Up” app, which allows customers to pay with their phones and does not charge merchants a credit card fee.When 19-year-old Caitlyn Bolen bought her regular veggie sandwich at Deli-Boys in Cleveland, Tenn., this week, she didn’t pay with a credit card, she didn’t use cash and she didn’t whip out a checkbook.
She paid by scanning a code on her smartphone, using an app called “Level Up.”
“It’s easier,” she said. “I don’t even have to bring in my purse. And it saves you money, too.”
Level Up is the latest in a string of innovations aimed at helping merchants avoid the typical 1.5 percent to 3 percent in credit card processing fees that accompany the traditional swipe, and is just part of a broad shift toward mobile and digital payments.
Deli-Boys has been using Level Up since September, and on Wednesday the quick-service sandwich shop went on a credit card diet — accepting only cash or Level Up payments for the duration of the day.