Portillo’s drive-thrus going cashless on Jan. 16

January 04, 2023 at 10:33 am CST

Cars quickly line up for orders at the open of the new Joliet Portillo’s location on North Larkin. Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 in Joliet. — Cars line up for orders at the opening of a new Portillo’s restaurant in Joliet in this February 2022 file photo. The restaurant chain announced Jan. 3, 2023, that its drive-thrus will be cashless starting Jan. 16. Customers still will be able to use cash inside. (Gary Middendorf - gmiddendorf@shawmedia.com/Gary Middendorf)

Starting later this month, Portillo’s patrons should make sure to bring their credit or debit cards if they’re planning to use the drive-thru lane.

The restaurant chain announced that its drive-thrus will be cashless beginning Jan. 16. Customers can pay using Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover credit or debit cards.

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The restaurants still will accept cash for people ordering inside.

“We are going cashless only in our drive-thru. This creates a faster, smoother service for our guests and is safer for our team members,” the company said in a Tuesday statement. “We will only accept cash inside our restaurants. We’d be happy to accept credit or debit cards outside or serve cash guests inside.”

Aimee Barrows

Aimee Barrows is the editor of The Scene, Shaw Local News Network's entertainment section. The Scene is your go-to destination for all things fun in Northern Illinois. Prior to The Scene, Aimee was the editor of the Kane County Chronicle for five years, and a freelance reporter for Shaw Media for four years.