Shop At Starbucks and Pay With Your iPhone

[Joe Johaneman]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.gearlog.com/2011/01/starbucks_adds_mobile_payments.php' target='_blank'>http://www.gearlog.com/2011/01/star...le_payments.php</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Is there anything more troubling in this modern world than having to use a credit card to pay for overpriced coffee? Thankfully, Starbucks is making life easier for iPhone, iPod touch, and BlackBerry users, releasing an app for those platforms that will let customers pay for their caramel macchiatos with their mobile devices at 6,800 standalone locations and 1,000 Target-based locations."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/at/auto/1295463375.usr105505.jpg" style="border: 0; margin-left: 100px; margin-right: 100px;" /></p><p>I don't drink coffee, and I've never been in a Starbucks, but this is a cool idea.&nbsp; I wish every large chain would allow mobile payments.&nbsp; Japan is way ahead of us in this regard; they've had mobile payments for years.&nbsp; Of course, they have an entire system in place made specifically for safely tying your bank account to your phone.&nbsp; Still, this is a good first step.&nbsp; What do you think:&nbsp; Are mobile payments the future?</p>

[Michael Knutson]

Great idea - This has been possible for years already in Asia.

I saw this and downloaded the app - but unfortunately the 'buying' part only currently only appears to work in Seattle and Silicon Valley, but the admin parts work everywhere (US, and possibly Canada). Great beta though!

[Sven Johannsen]

Did you get the right one? Starbucks has two apps in the store. The Mobile Card one has been offering the purchase from phone part at Starbucks in Target stores for some time now. Mine used to just show me local Target/Starbucks when I asked to look for participating stores. Now it finds all the stores around me, in Colorado. I'll have to try it out, but I normally use the drive-through and my Starbucks card. Not handing them my iPhone at the window ;)

If you have a Starbucks card the app is pretty useful anyway, as it lets you quickly check balance and reload, anytime, anywhere (you have a connection)

Update: tried it this morning at my local store in Colorado. Works quite well. I'd say as fast or faster than dragging out the plasitic. The front page has a little button that says Touch to Pay, which brings up the 3D bar code, that is scanned, and your card is debited. This is your Starbucks card, not a regular credit card. If you don't know, you can get a card and load money onto it to use at Starbucks. Cards are free, no fees, just easy and help you track your habit. Actually I would guess for many it would be faster to find the phone than digging through the pocket or purse to find the card. They need to install a scanner at the Drive-Thru ;)

[Brad Adrian]

I am SOOOOO ready for the full promise of mobile payments to come true. For years and years we've known that it's technologically quite feasible to implement methods even as simple as this one (producing a bar code for scanning), let alone the more complex methods that link directly to a checking account and not a special Starbucks-type account.

I'd like to hear anybody's story about how mobile payments may be maturing in their neck of the woods.

Anybody?