With more customers choosing to buy their cup of coffee using card payment over cash, the move responds to increased customer demand to be served quickly using more convenient payment methods, the company said.
Mobile payment is the latest digital innovation from Starbucks and follows the recent offering of free Wi-Fi in store and weekly iTunes downloads of music and books.
Paying using the Starbucks for iPhone App is set to save around 10 seconds per transaction, which benefits both users of the app and customers behind them in the queue. It has proved to be a success since its launch in early 2011 in nearly 6,800 US Starbucks stores, with more than 20m mobile payment transactions processed to date.
From the 5 January 2012, customers who have a registered Starbucks Card will be able to link the app to their card balance and make payments for their in-store purchases by scanning their unique barcode at the till. With a 70% increase in Starbucks Card Rewards users over the last 12 months, mobile payment not only engages a loyal base of almost onem cardholders, but is a draw for customers looking to experience the speed, ease and convenience of paying with their iPhone or iPod touch.
Brian Waring, vice president of marketing and category for Starbucks UK and Ireland, said:: “Customers want to be served quickly, but fewer want to use cash. We wanted to find a way for them to pay in the quickest way possible. Because our customers want it, we have created our own custom-built mobile payment technology rather than waiting for the near field communication technology which is currently not widely available. We’re always thinking of new ways to add value to our customers and give them more reasons to choose Starbucks.”
Source: Starbucks
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