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Starbucks' In-Store Mobile Payments Estimated to Be More Popular Than Apple Pay in U.S.

mithion said:
I feel like merchants need to do better to advertise the contactless payment methods. Many merchants don't have contactless payment options.
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Well sure… but when it comes to consumer advantage there's little that Apple Pay offers. Granted I live in Europe, as opposed to the US, where credit card services are more uniform but Apple Pay provides me no incentive to use it outside of maybe speeding up the payment process by 10 seconds. I'm still paying for the good all the same.
 
I used my Apple Pay exactly once on a vending machine. The soda didn't dispense and I got charged for it anyway.

Back to cash for me.
 
bookwormsy said:
Personally, the only reason why I use my Starbucks app to pay is for the points.
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Starbucks points are a bit of a scam. Well, that's too strong of a word... but if, over the course of a year, participating in their program causes you to make just one or two additional purchases you wouldn't normally have made (oh, look, this email says tomorrow's a double-star day!) then the program probably is not actually saving you money, it's costing you money.
 
e-coli said:
For the life of me I don't know why people would allow a company to hold their personal funds in escrow, making money off the interest. It's puzzling, but hey to each his own I guess.
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Given checking account interest rates, the money I might keep on a Starbucks card isn't going to earn any significant interest. Starbucks rewards are a better return.
 
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HobeSoundDarryl said:
You might want to re-read the story. I don't believe it's saying what you think it's saying. Instead, I believe this is about purchases ONLY at Starbucks, not Starbucks vs. cumulative transactions "with every other retailer on earth."
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Nope. The first paragraph clearly says that more people will be buying coffee with the Starbucks app than there are Apple Pay users in existence.

I believe it.
 
Precision Gem said:
Apple Pay is tied into one of your credit cards, so you still get the points.
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I use Gold VISA cards because of the far superior travel insurance (amongst other advantages) that's included and from the advise given to me by my bank, the use of Apple Pay - irrespective of the fact that its connected to the card, doesn't guarantee me coverage as if I have directly used my card.
 
These stories often remind me of the world in Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. How long until corporations replace all the functions of government such that they become bigger and more powerful than government?
 
neoelectronaut said:
I used my Apple Pay exactly once on a vending machine. The soda didn't dispense and I got charged for it anyway.

Back to cash for me.
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You’d have the same problem with cash. You can get your money back with a card/Apple pay by calling the bank and letting them know the soda didn’t dispense.

Also cash is slower because there’s this annoying part about it called “change”
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Infinite Vortex said:
I use Gold VISA cards because of the far superior travel insurance (amongst other advantages) that's included and from the advise given to me by my bank, the use of Apple Pay - irrespective of the fact that its connected to the card, doesn't guarantee me coverage as if I have directly used my card.
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It’s exactly the same thing as using the card.
 
dontwalkhand said:
It’s exactly the same thing as using the card.
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It isn't. You pay for a travel ticket with Apple Pay and NOT the credit card. The credit card gets charged by Apple Pay because Apple Pay wants money. There are two separate and distinct translations occurring irrespective of whether there are any interactions to facilitate it.
 
CerebralX said:
I opened an extra bank account locally because they supported both Android pay (at the time) and Apple Pay. I used Android pay like twice. It's cool for a few times, but after that it just looks like a gimmick. Maybe there are some more benefits to Apple/Google pay in the US, but where I live I might as well just use my contactless card.
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Apple Pay protects your privacy and security. The merchant never gets your credit card information to have it stolen by hackers, employees, etc. Your information is also sent by a one time use encrypted token, so you see you are better off, at no cost, and more convenience, by using Apple Pay
 
Infinite Vortex said:
What I think everyone seems to forget is that using Apple Pay (or Samsung Pay - or whatever equivalent) isn't any simpler than using my credit card. I still have to do something… I still have to pull something out… I still have to validate. So where's the advantage? Apple doesn't offer me points or any rewards program so why would I prioritise it over something that does??
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Pulling out your phone replaces pulling out your card, but using your phone means that you don't have to carry both items. Plus you can do more things with your phone than your card. It's about convenience for me.

When I went to Australia, once I realized that practically everyone accepted ApplePay, I literally left my wallet in the hotel room safe for the remainder of my trip.
 
My wife users Starbucks app to pay both because of reward points and order ahead (can save 20+ minutes per coffee).

But a funny thing about the counting here: she may reload her Starbuck's card/app with Apple Pay for an amount, which is 1 transaction, and then buy 10 coffees using Starbuck's app for that same money.

"Apple Pay is accepted at more than half of U.S. merchants"

Really?! I'd love that, but I don't see it. Might be just because of where I shop frequently: my primary grocery store (HEB) doesn't. But Sprouts does. And it makes me happy when I can use it there. And Walgreens does. Where I get my haircut, it is unreliable: says it worked (pleasant sound and checkmark), but then the machine says it is rejected. That's the only place that happens, but the people working there says that it fails about 50% of the time for them: weird.

For security and convenience, I hope it continues to grow. It's also rather fun, speeds up checkout, and makes it really easy to spend... I'd think more merchants would embrace it.
 
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It is what it is. Shrug...

Still...is this with respect to coffee beverages sold or shipped?
 
The Starbucks app is _also_ its reward program. In addition to points for purchases, there are the Double Star days and Star Dashes. Sure, it is a way to get you to buy more than you might have but sometimes it makes sense for me. I can buy extra breakfast sandwiches or protein boxes to save for another day. Or instead of going to any coffee shop, I will go the extra block to a Starbucks when I need a fix.

If the Star Dash is to make 5 purchases in a weekend, I will sometimes order one item on the go (for example, a caramel frappuchino) then a second item in person (drip coffee) and pick them both up at the same time. Yes, I am Starbucks patsy. :)
 
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Infinite Vortex said:
What I think everyone seems to forget is that using Apple Pay (or Samsung Pay - or whatever equivalent) isn't any simpler than using my credit card. I still have to do something… I still have to pull something out… I still have to validate. So where's the advantage? Apple doesn't offer me points or any rewards program so why would I prioritise it over something that does??
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You get the credit card points when you use the card through Apple Pay.

As for why to use it, security. Apple Pay works with a one-time transaction ID that it would be totally useless to steal.

It also means you don’t have to carry all your physical cards. I carry one credit card for places that don’t take Apple Pay but leave my other cards at home, including debit card (bank allows transactions with virtual card).

And let me turn the question around - what’s the advantage to pulling out your physical card?
 
Ridiculous comparison. I can't buy a candy bar at Walgreens with Starbucks app. I can fund my Starbucks app with multiple payment systems -- Apple, Chase, Samsung, Visa Checkout, and more. Starbucks promotes its app with points that get you free stuff. You fund it via any CC or payment system and you are essentially double dipping on incentives. But ApplePay itself offers no general incentive to use it -- special offers from time to time but no everyday, anywhere incentives.
 
How is Apple Pay in the US now. I'm in the UK and don't bother carrying a credit card any more - Apple Pay (and Android Pay) is taken enywhere - shops, restaurants, gas stations, bars etc etc. Same in US?
 
Sethal said:
This is the way I see it too. It’s just like the younger generations embracing streaming vs traditional cable. Most will have hardly used regular tv in 10 years, and it’ll be the same with plastic cards. It’s how you grow up. Older folks used cards most their lives, that’s what they’re use to. Most younger folks don’t even carry their credit cards let alone have that many.
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We have tap-to-pay in Canada. Still quicker and easier than dealing with my phone at the checkout.
 
HobeSoundDarryl said:
You might want to re-read the story. I don't believe it's saying what you think it's saying. Instead, I believe this is about purchases ONLY at Starbucks, not Starbucks vs. cumulative transactions "with every other retailer on earth." However, if this is some worry about Apple not being #1 in the latter, I suspect good old plastic card usage still probably thoroughly thrashes any of these pay-by-phone options.
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You might be right, but after re-reading the source article from re/code, I'm more convinced that the re/code article is trying to assert Apple Pay less popular overall than Starbucks system. I'm honestly still confused and can see your interpretation though. It really needs to be clarified.

I totally believe Starbucks' system is more popular at Starbucks, but there is no way Starbucks in-app system does more transactions than Apple Pay in the US. That doesn't make any sense.
 
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