Discover how we developed a resilient and high-performing order and pay solution for JD Wetherspoon, handling millions of users and peak seasonal traffic.
Filter has consistently delivered innovative digital solutions tailored to the business needs of JD Wetherspoon. Following the success of delivering a Progressive Web App for their pub customers during COVID, which provided an alternative method for ordering and paying for food and drinks, we were tasked with an ambitious new project in 2024.
This involved creating a replacement version of the original JD Wetherspoon Order & Pay mobile app for iOS and Android. The challenge was clear: develop a scalable and user-friendly app that could integrate easily with new payment providers and handle high traffic during peak trading periods.
Building on our extensive experience in app development, we created a cross-platform app from the ground-up that could provide native apps for both iOS and Android, as well as continue to support a PWA version for those customers that did not want to install the app on their phone.
This approach allowed us to efficiently reuse existing functionality while adding new capabilities, including the development of a brand-new payments integration with BNP Paribas, designed to support expansion in the future.
We also created a bespoke content management system (CMS) called App Manager, enabling JD Wetherspoon to manage features such as guest ales, venues, specials and notifications with ease.
Finally, we developed a new Payments API to manage payments and refunds, and implemented a middleware caching layer to handle high traffic volumes during peak periods.
JD Wetherspoon have a unique profile in the hospitality industry; with over 850 pubs and hotels and a wide customer base, they serve one of the highest shares of population than any other chain or brand in the market.
Customers have high expectations of speed and service, even more so during peak trading hours such as weekends, sports events and national holidays.
Proving a scalable app that can manage the load at peak times, whilst providing the flexibility that pub managers need to be able to make changes in-pub to support their operations, was a key challenge that required extensive development and testing for multiple scenarios.
Meeting this requirement and delivering a robust app able to scale to the highest peaks of trade with room to spare was a significant achievement by the Filter team.
The project delivered a seamless, high-performing Customer Order & Pay App, which has already achieved notable success. To date, it has been downloaded 4.5 million times. During the 2024 peak Christmas trading period, the app showcased its resilience and scalability by handling 16 orders per second.
Additionally, the bespoke App Manager has empowered the team at JD Wetherspoon to efficiently manage app content, improving the user experience and supporting operational goals.
The app’s success has led to ongoing collaboration between Filter and JD Wetherspoon. This partnership focuses on further infrastructure improvements, performance enhancements and UI design updates to refine the platform.
Filter’s development of the JD Wetherspoon Customer Order & Pay App underscores our ability to deliver scalable, high-performing mobile solutions tailored to business objectives. This project highlights our expertise in creating hybrid apps with advanced payment integrations, robust APIs and intuitive content management systems.
If you’re looking to develop a high-performance digital solution, contact us to learn how we can help. Our proven success with JD Wetherspoon and other clients positions us as a trusted partner for your next digital transformation project.
