Starbucks has been testing a program launched in September of last year for users with iPhones. The program allows customers to pay for their purchases via their mobile devices using a special Starbucks Card mobile application. The app was initially accepted at just 16 Seattle and San Francisco area stores.
In March, the company expanded the program to include 1,000 Target stores across the United States. CEO Howard Schultz announced this week that they would soon be expanding its mobile payment program to more stores over the coming months.
After entering a Starbucks card number in the application, the Starbucks Card app displays a barcode which can then be shown at checkout in lieu of handing over a physical card to be swiped. The app also allows customers to check their card’s balance, view transactions, and reload the card with new funds.
It will be interesting to watch this sort of mobile payment system as it expands outside of the very tech-savvy areas where it has been initially tested. Will mainstream users adopt this system in large numbers? Will it really be more efficient? Or will you be stuck in line behind folks who are fiddling with their phones? Time will tell.
