OpenTable to help diners prove vaccination status

As the Delta variant spreads and more cities require proof of vaccination for indoor dining, restaurant reservation service OpenTable and identification company CLEAR, are offering a digital vaccine card to enable diners to prove their vaccination status to restaurants.

“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.”

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.

“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.”

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.

Proof of vaccination is a controversial issue in multiple countries, not least the US. So far, both San Francisco and New York have issued mandates that will require proof of vaccination for indoor activities such as dining, while New Orleans will require at least partial vaccination. In addition, The Los Angeles City Council has begun plans to draw up similar requirements for its citizens. As we enter the winter months, it seems inevitable that more and more cities, and perhaps more and more individual businesses, will require proof of vaccination to dine.