The University of Southern Mississippi is the first college in the state to adopt mobile meal application Tapingo for its campus.

Tapingo is an application designed for quick access to convenient meals. In partnering with the application, USM Eagle Dining plans to enhance the student dining experience.

Users can search for nearby restaurants, browse through menus, customize orders and pay for meals online. The food will either be delivered or ready for pick-up when the user arrives at the restaurant.

Lauren Brescher, Eagle Dining’s Marketing Manager, said she is excited to bring Tapingo to USM.

“We think it will add a lot of value to our meal plans, and students can use their bonus bucks or dining dollars to pay through the app,” Brescher said. “We know that students are very busy, trying to get from one place to another [and] trying to eat between classes, and it isn’t always easy to wait in line at Chick-Fil-A.”

Tapingo separates itself from other transaction systems in that it is a fully-launched mobile asset. The app recognizes the user’s location and becomes familiar with the user’s preferences over time to make contextual recommendations.

Tapingo Head of Public Relations Leanne Reis said Tapingo works with forward-looking universities that prioritize student engagement and quality of life on campus.

“We’re using mobile technology to solve a key problem for students: lack of time,” Reis said. “Tapingo provides a streamlined buying process, eliminates operational inefficiencies, and drives habitual purchases. Whether it’s the long lines between classes or late-night study sessions, students need a solution that meets their needs.”

The application can also anticipate a user’s orders and request to order items based on regular eating habits. For example, if the user orders a latte every morning, Tapingo will request that the user place the order.

USM students became aware about the application through emails, alerts, as well as booths set up around campus dining areas.

“I decided to use it because I thought it would save me time during my busy day, but I still had to wait in line at Chick-Fil-A to pick up my order,” said freshman Cameron Nocera. “The app is pretty easy to use, and I would definitely encourage more students to use it once more food places on campus create express lines such as Starbuck’s Tapingo Express Pickup.”

“Imagine the scenario in which ten students get out of class and all head to the same restaurant,” Reis said. “You have 10 people in line, and the last person will have barely any time to actually eat before their next class. Now imagine five of those people use Tapingo to order before class ends. All 10 leave class together, but by the time they get to the restaurant, five people’s orders are ready and waiting, cutting the line down to five people.”

More information on Tapingo and its affiliates and services can be found at tapingo.com.