Local
Local is a QR-based payment, ordering, digital menu, and loyalty platform serving restaurants, hotels, and hospital cafeterias across the GCC (Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia). It charges a per-transaction Customer Service Fee to 200+ venues and integrates with regional wallets and major POS systems.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2025
- HeadquartersDubai, United Arab Emirates
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Local does
Local is a QR-code-based hospitality platform that enables restaurants, hotels, and hospital cafeterias to accept contactless payments, run digital menus, capture orders, and operate built-in loyalty programs from a single guest-facing QR scan. Its product suite comprises six modules — Pay-at-Table, Digital Menu, Order-and-Pay, Loyalty Program, Payment Links, and a Venue Intelligence Dashboard — all delivered through a browser-based flow that requires no guest app download. The platform integrates with regional wallets (BenefitPay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay) and major POS systems (Odoo, Oracle POS, Lightspeed, Square, Invo), supporting both English and Arabic with right-to-left layout, and is currently used by 200+ venues across Bahrain, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Recognized customers include Fuddruckers, Nandos, Chili's, Gulf Inn, Asdal Boutique Hotel, and Banu Corp.
The company operates a transaction-based revenue model, charging venues a non-refundable Customer Service Fee per transaction for the digital platform services, with specific rates quoted on a contact basis and not publicly disclosed. Local acts as the merchant of record for all transactions processed through the platform. Pricing is pay-as-you-go with no hardware costs to the venue, and the company is sold both via a self-serve product-led growth motion (venues live in days, 15-minute staff training) and direct enterprise sales. Go-to-market covers the GCC region through offices in Manama, Dubai, and Riyadh.
Local is a privately held, founder-led company headquartered in Dubai. It was founded in 2025 and operates with 11-50 employees. In December 2025 it closed a $1,000,000 seed funding round and participated in the 500 Global / Sanabil 500 MENA Seed Accelerator. The CEO and founder is Saad Ahmed. Ownership, board composition, and detailed cap-table information are not publicly disclosed.
Local firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local
- Legal name
- Local
- Website
- https://uselocal.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2025
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Local is a QR-based payment, ordering, digital menu, and loyalty platform serving restaurants, hotels, and hospital cafeterias across the GCC (Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia). It charges a per-transaction Customer Service Fee to 200+ venues and integrates with regional wallets and major POS systems.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hospitality Payment Technology
- akta.pro primary industry
- QR Code & Alternative In-Store Acceptance (QR, APMs) (FSAMADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO), Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) & Local Rails (ACH/SEPA/UPI, etc.) (CRAFALAG), Alternative Payments & Digital Wallet Acceptance (A2A, RTP, wallets) (THALAHAH)
Keywords
Where Local is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubai
- HQ country
- United Arab Emirates
- HQ region
- Middle East
Offices3 records
Markets served
Local business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction/Payment Processing: Local processes all payments through its platform and charges a Customer Service Fee on each transaction. This fee covers QR-based menu access, digital checkout, bill-splitting, and digital receipts. The fee is non-refundable once a transaction completes, except in cases of full refunds or as required by law. Local is the merchant of record for all transactions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Customer Service Fee per transaction |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Local product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local provides a QR-based payment, ordering, and loyalty platform for hospitality venues across the GCC region. Guests scan a QR code at the table to view the menu, place orders, split and pay the bill digitally in under 30 seconds using cards or mobile wallets such as BenefitPay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, while venues capture customer data, run automatic loyalty rewards, and monitor real-time analytics through a unified dashboard. The platform integrates with major POS systems (Odoo, Oracle, Lightspeed, Square, Invo) and supports remote payment links for bookings, deposits, and event tickets.
Product overview
Local is a unified QR-based hospitality platform combining Pay-at-Table, Digital Menu, Order-and-Pay, Loyalty Program, Payment Links, and an Intelligence Dashboard into a single integrated system for restaurants, hotels, and hospitals across the GCC region. The core platform enables guests to scan QR codes for menu access, ordering, and payment, while venue operators gain real-time analytics and automated customer engagement tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pay-at-Table QR code-based payment solution that lets guests scan, view itemized bills, split payments, and settle transactions using Apple Pay, Google Pay, card, or BenefitPay in under 30 seconds, replacing traditional card terminals for restaurants, hotels, and hospitals.
- Digital Menu Real-time digital menu platform with live updates, dish photos, descriptions, dietary labels (vegan, gluten-free, halal), calorie counts, dynamic pricing, and multi-language support including Arabic with RTL layout.
- Order-and-Pay Unified QR-based ordering and payment flow where guests scan, browse the menu, add items with modifiers, and settle bills digitally without staff involvement, with orders routed to kitchen display or printer.
- Loyalty Program Built-in customer loyalty system with automatic enrollment on payment, configurable points per spend, visit-based rewards, tiered status levels (Bronze/Silver/Gold), time-based promotions, and birthday rewards, requiring no separate app or card from guests.
- Payment Links Remote payment collection tool that generates shareable URLs for booking deposits, catering prepayments, room charges, event tickets, and outstanding balances, distributed via WhatsApp, SMS, or email.
- Intelligence Dashboard Analytics platform providing real-time revenue monitoring, table-turn analysis, staff performance tracking, bottleneck identification, and actionable alerts for venue operators, alongside menu analytics on item views and order conversion.
Quantifiable outcome
- Table turn times drop by 15-20% because there's no payment bottleneck at the end of the meal
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Local
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Local technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration9 records
Feature7 records
Local partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- BenefitPaycoreRegional mobile wallet integration enabling customers to pay via BenefitPay app. Essential payment method for Bahrain market penetration.
- Apple PaycoreMobile wallet integration for iOS users to pay with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode. Key payment method for digital-first consumers.
- Google PaycoreMobile wallet integration for Android users. Enables contactless payment for Google Pay users across the platform.
- Samsung PaysupportingMobile wallet integration for Samsung device users. Expands payment options for Samsung ecosystem customers.
- OdoocorePOS system integration with Odoo platform. Allows venues already using Odoo to seamlessly connect Local's QR payment and ordering system.
- OraclecorePOS system integration with Oracle. Enables enterprise venues with Oracle POS to integrate Local's payment and ordering solutions.
- LightspeedcorePOS system integration with Lightspeed. Allows restaurants using Lightspeed POS to connect Local's QR checkout and ordering platform.
- SquarecorePOS system integration with Square. Enables venues using Square to integrate Local's QR payment and ordering capabilities.
- InvosupportingPOS system integration with Invo. Expands compatibility with regional POS systems used in the GCC market.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Local competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Slick: Bahrain-based restaurant management and POS platform that also targets GCC F&B operators with payments and operational tooling. Comparable to Local as a regional competitor operating in the same Bahrain-UAE-KSA corridor with restaurant payments as a core feature.
- SpotOn: US-based restaurant commerce platform offering pay-at-table, digital menus, online ordering, and loyalty for hospitality venues. Comparable to Local on product surface area (especially the QR/pay-at-table + loyalty combination), though operating in a different geography.
- Foodics: Saudi-headquartered restaurant POS and payments platform serving the MENA region with QR ordering, digital menus, and integrated payments. Closest comparable to Local given overlap in vertical, geography, and product surface area (POS + pay-at-table + loyalty).
Broad incumbents
- Careem: UAE-headquartered super app (owned by Uber) offering ride-hailing, food delivery, and Careem Pay QR-based payments across the region. Comparable to Local's QR-pay model for in-person acceptance, with a broader platform and substantially larger scale.
- Toast: Leading US restaurant POS and payments platform with an extensive product suite including pay-at-table, digital ordering, and loyalty. Comparable to Local as a broad incumbent in restaurant commerce; represents the type of scaled competitor Local would face if expanding outside MENA.
- Network International: Leading GCC payment processor providing merchant acquiring, processing, and digital payment solutions across MENA. Comparable to Local as an alternative in the regional payments stack, and a potential partner or competitor for in-person payment acceptance.
Emerging players
- Loystar: Restaurant-focused customer loyalty and CRM platform serving small and mid-sized F&B operators with digital stamp cards, rewards, and CRM. Comparable to Local's loyalty module specifically, though Loystar does not own the payment/ordering surface.
- Ordermark: US-based restaurant ordering aggregator and online ordering management platform. Comparable to Local's Order-and-Pay flow on the digital ordering side of the restaurant stack, though it does not handle in-person payments or loyalty.
- EatApp: Restaurant management platform focused on reservations, waitlist, and guest engagement, primarily serving MENA operators. Comparable to Local on the guest-engagement side of the restaurant stack, though it does not process payments.
Regional players
- Yoco: South African QR and card payment provider for small merchants including restaurants, with integrated point-of-sale and online payments. Comparable to Local's QR-based in-person payment approach, though focused on a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Local social profiles
Digital presenceLocal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Local funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Local
What does Local do?
Local provides a QR-based payment, ordering, and loyalty platform for hospitality venues across the GCC region. Guests scan a QR code at the table to view the menu, place orders, split and pay the bill digitally in under 30 seconds using cards or mobile wallets such as BenefitPay, Apple Pay, or Google Pay, while venues capture customer data, run automatic loyalty rewards, and monitor real-time analytics through a unified dashboard. The platform integrates with major POS systems (Odoo, Oracle, Lightspeed, Square, Invo) and supports remote payment links for bookings, deposits, and event tickets.
Is Local a public or private company?
Local is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Local founded?
Local was founded in 2025. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Local based?
Local is headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Middle East region.
How does Local make money?
One revenue line is on record: transaction/Payment Processing.
Who are Local's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Slick, SpotOn and Foodics. Broad incumbents are Careem, Toast and Network International. Emerging players are Loystar, Ordermark and EatApp. Yoco is listed as a regional player.
Does Local have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local.
What industry is Local in?
Local's product category is Hospitality Payment Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMADAH, QR Code & Alternative In-Store Acceptance (QR, APMs), with a secondary code of FSAGABAO, POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure.