How PayWithZest Works

A secure, ACH-first payment system that reduces fees and improves customer retention for restaurants.

Onboard
Link Bank
Fund Wallet
Checkout
Settle

How the Payment Flow Works

From restaurant sign-up to customer checkout to settlement.

Step 1

Restaurant Signs Up

Create your account, complete KYC verification through Stripe Connect, and get your unique QR code for table payments.

Stripe ConnectKYCQuick Setup
Step 2

Customer Links Their Bank

Diners connect their bank account through Plaid — the same trusted technology used by Venmo and Coinbase. No raw credentials are ever stored.

PlaidBank-Level SecurityZero Credential Storage
Step 3

Wallet Funds via ACH

Customers top up their Zest wallet using low-cost ACH transfers instead of expensive credit card rails. More savings for everyone.

ACH RailsLow CostInstant Funding
Step 4

Scan & Pay at the Table

Diner scans the restaurant QR code, selects their discount, and pays from their wallet in seconds. Restaurant controls the discount percentage.

QR CheckoutDiscount EngineInstant Payment
Step 5

Automatic Settlement

Funds settle directly to your restaurant bank account. Full dashboard with analytics, fee breakdowns, and settlement tracking.

Instant SettlementAnalytics DashboardFee Transparency

Security & Contingencies

Defense-in-depth at every layer of the stack.

256-bit encryption on all transactions
Plaid-verified bank linking
PCI-compliant payment processing
Idempotent operations prevent double charges
Stripe webhook verification
SOC 2 compliant infrastructure
Content Security Policy headers
Rate limiting on all endpoints
No raw bank credentials stored
ACH rails — no card network fees
Full ledger reconciliation

Restaurant Fee Savings

See exactly how much restaurants save vs. traditional credit card processing.

Subtotal$100.00
Restaurant discount (3% = 300 bps)−$3.00
Discounted subtotal$97.00
Zest fee (0.70% = 70 bps)+$0.68
Total charged$97.68
Restaurant receives$97.00

Restaurants control their discount percentage. Higher discounts drive more wallet adoption.

Product Surfaces

Every touchpoint of PayWithZest, built for restaurants and their diners.

Mobile Wallet App

/wallet

Link your bank, fund your wallet, and pay at any participating restaurant with a QR scan.

Restaurant Portal

/restaurant/dashboard

Sales analytics, fee savings overview, settlement tracking, and QR code management.

Customer Dashboard

/customer/dashboard

Transaction history, linked bank accounts, and total savings across all restaurants.

How It Works

/how-it-works

Understand the ACH-first flow, fee structure, and security architecture.

Ready to get started?

Join the future of restaurant payments.