No cash, no credit card, no problem: Open and pay the bar tab with your phone

Free mobile app, TabbedOut, launches in Dallas-Fort Worth; lets users securely and easily open, review and pay restaurant and bar tabs via smartphone

DALLAS/FORT WORTH, July 23, 2010 – DFW drinkers now have a quick, easy and secure way to pay their bar tabs without opening their wallets, thanks to TabbedOut, a free smartphone app that enables users to open, review and close their bar tabs – and even tip the bartender – all from their iPhones and Android phones.

TabbedOut got its start in Austin and has expanded to North Texas, where a number of bars and restaurants have already signed on to accept these new electronic payments. Participating bars and restaurants in the DFW area include The Back 9 (Addison), Trees (Deep Ellum), Lakewood Bar and Grill, Lucky Lou’s (Denton), Riprocks (Denton) and Brick & Joe’s (Oak Lawn). Several others will come online in the coming weeks.

While convenience is one of the key benefits of TabbedOut, security is equally important. Gone are the days of flashing a credit card or leaving it with the bartender.

“TabbedOut was not only developed to save bar patrons, and the bars themselves, time opening and closing their tabs. It also eliminates the need to hand your credit or debit card over to a stranger or the risk of leaving it behind by mistake at the end of the night,” said Rick Orr, CEO and co-founder of TabbedOut’s Austin-based developer, ATX Innovation.

Credit and debit card payment information is stored securely on the phone, not on TabbedOut’s servers, and only the last four digits are displayed on the screen. A random secret code is displayed on the screen each time a tab is opened – that’s the only information that a user needs to provide the bartender. TabbedOut is securely integrated directly into the bar’s point of sale (POS) system. Once a tab is opened, users can review the details of their tabs in real time for accuracy, and when they’re ready to leave, they simply enter a tip and pay with the press of a single button.

“Users and bartenders alike love TabbedOut. The time traditionally spent waiting to close a tab can instead be spent with friends or helping other customers,” said Orr.

Additionally, users can receive copies of their receipts via email, review a complete history of previous purchases, and even resend previous receipts via email.

“It’s also a great tool for business people who entertain clients and later need to keep track of their receipts for expense reports,” added Orr.

TabbedOut is available for free download on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch via the iTunes App Store and Android phones via the Android Market. There’s a 99-cent charge per use (first three uses are free).

TabbedOut is currently active in Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth, as well as a handful of bars in southern California and Ohio. It will launch soon in additional major U.S. markets including Houston, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and more.

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To learn more about TabbedOut, visit www.TabbedOut.com.
Download for free on iTunes. Also available in the Android Market.

Media Contact:
Cooper Smith, (214) 329-9191
cooper@coopersmithagency.com