OpenTable, CLEAR team-up to streamline proof of vaccination requirements in US restaurants

Once a reservation is made on the OpenTable app at a restaurant that has vaccine requirements, the diner will find a "CLEAR" banner on the reservation page.

OpenTable

As the Delta variant spreads and more cities require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, provider of online restaurant reservations OpenTable and the secure identity company CLEAR are partnering to offer diners a simple way to show proof of vaccination at a restaurant through CLEAR’s digital vaccine card.

How does it work?

Once a reservation is made on the OpenTable app at a restaurant that has vaccine requirements, the diner will find a “CLEAR” banner on the reservation confirmation page. By clicking on the banner, the diner will be linked directly to an information page, where they can find all the details they need, plus instructions on how to create a CLEAR digital vaccine card. CLEAR’s digital vaccine card is a free, mobile experience on the CLEAR app, which securely connects a person’s verified identity to their proof of vaccination from hundreds of vaccine providers and national pharmacies — including Walmart, Atlantic Health System, the state of California, and New York.

OpenTable added that it will not store vaccination card data or, unless voluntarily provided by the diner to the restaurant, other personal health information through this feature.

This integration, expected to launch in September on OpenTable’s iPhone and Android apps, comes on the heels of a number of new safety features that OpenTable has launched to support restaurants and diners. In addition to the new “Verified for Entry” tag, restaurants can now list “Proof of Vaccination” as a Safety Precaution on their restaurant profile pages and communicate directly with diners about changing restrictions and special requests through Direct Messaging.

On the record

“Our partnership with CLEAR furthers our commitment to help both restaurants and diners navigate dining out in the next chapter of the pandemic,” said Debby Soo, CEO, OpenTable. “For the last 18 months, we’ve focused all of our energy on building innovative features that make it easier to Dine On, safely. This collaboration aims to streamline restaurant entry, saving time for both restaurant staff and diners and lets everyone focus on the meal – not the logistics.”

“Now more than ever, it is important that the people and experiences which make up the lifeblood of our communities safely stay open for business,” said Caryn Seidman-Becker, CEO, CLEAR. “We are proud to work with OpenTable to make it easy and safe for diners and restaurants to come back together during this time.”

The context

Since the beginning of the pandemic, OpenTable has been at the forefront of supporting the industry, helping seat more than 135 million diners at no cost to its restaurants and implementing a number of initiatives, such as the State of the Industry dashboard showing global dining demand, expanded reservation capabilities to grocery stores, bars, wineries and college dining halls, new tools like virtual waitlists and safety precautions, enhanced takeout and delivery offerings and more.