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Starbucks Mobile Payments for iPhone and iPod Touch Now Available Nationwide
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It's only been announced today? I've been using it at Starbucks OTHER than the ones where they've been testing it since Christmas. On a whim I tried it in San Diego while I was down there and it worked. It hasn't failed at any I've tried since then.
One less thing to carry around in my wallet.
One less thing to carry around in my wallet.
How does it compare to Moka? Did you try both? Moka pot being less than 10% of Nespresso cost, and me being an espresso addict working from home, I have to know every detail.
Who cares if someone takes your iphone and gets a coffee out of it. Big deal, you lose 99 cents if you can't lock your phone before then.
Oh wait, it's 5 bucks.
Coffee is funny.
You should see Tim Horton's in Canada. The drive through is lined up with cars down the street every day. Not kidding. All of them with their motors running burning gallons of gas. McDonalds coffee tastes better than Tim's, but it's like a "wage slave status symbol" to be waiting in that line I think.
One thing though - they run that drive through with amazing efficiency - even through there are probably 50 cars in line - each car takes like 30 seconds to get through - even if you order a sandwich or a donut etc. It's really quite a thing to see. Never seen anything like it.
Clearly you did not read the article. I don't think you can really skim a picture all that well.
Clearly you didn't realize I was referring to the NFC speculation. Why would I talk about EMI shielding my wallet in reference to QR codes?
There is already a Chipotle app. I use it every time I go there.
It is a great app with the ability to name your various entrées (at my Chipotle, they write the name on the outside foil of each burrito) so when I get back to the office, I know who gets what. Also, it allows you to make special requests at the end of each entrée (ex. only light lettuce).
When you get to the Chipotle, they have special iPhone order parking at the front. You stroll right up to the cashier, show your iPhone, and stroll right out with your food. The app provides prepayment. Typically, everyone waiting in line wonders who the hell I am. LOL.
+1 on the Nespresso, coffee is excellent try the new vanilla espresso capsules.
My guess is that if everyone uses this App to pay for their drink the line will be moving much faster.
I go to Sbux every morning before work and I hate the 8:00 am 'coffee traffic'
Except that the only bootstrap is to buy a card and then register it with the phone. And thus, you have a piece of plastic to... throw into the landfill.
Yeah me too - I want it everywhere.
MicroPayment is THE killer app.
I want to (be able to) pay my friend 12 cents from my iPhone.
That's why I was thinking RFID embedded into the iPhone would be good.
This is big and has been incorporated into the mainstream culture in Japan for many years. I was there in 2006 and you could go on the trains and buy cans of ice tea etc with your phone - and many many people have it configured and do use it all the time.
I don’t want yet-another-card, so I’ll be much happier when they add the Commercial Dishwasher feature, whereby people who are staying in instead of carrying out don’t have to throw out paper cups and plastic spoons.
(Admittedly, I still go there sometimes, because they’re the only place I can walk to. And I like that the free iTunes songs are now handled with no wasteful code-cards. But good luck finding that on their WiFi portal.)
I like Chipotle’s method better: you not only pay but also make your order itself from the phone, AND you can do it well in advance, from home or wherever. You don’t need to swipe your phone or anything but walk up and grab your food. Works anywhere, over the Internet. That’s even better than RF! (But I still want RF because the need for proximity means extra security, and not every store is going to have an Internet service set up.)
(Admittedly, I still go there sometimes, because they’re the only place I can walk to. And I like that the free iTunes songs are now handled with no wasteful code-cards. But good luck finding that on their WiFi portal.)
I like Chipotle’s method better: you not only pay but also make your order itself from the phone, AND you can do it well in advance, from home or wherever. You don’t need to swipe your phone or anything but walk up and grab your food. Works anywhere, over the Internet. That’s even better than RF! (But I still want RF because the need for proximity means extra security, and not every store is going to have an Internet service set up.)
Nah, the Starbucks card/app is a faster transaction, plus they can act as a loyalty card.
The thing that will drive this technology forward is NFC contactless payment for mass transit systems, like the Mobile Suica system in Japan. If Apple could get an RFID chip into the iPhone and get major transit systems to use those IDs, we'd see a lot of progress.
For now, I have to suffer with a thicker wallet because of Clipper Card (SF Bay Area transit pass).
In my experience it's not the ordering/payment that's the bottleneck. Usually when the local store is backed up, they'll run up the line collecting a backlog of orders, but the cashier always gets you rung up before your order is ready. This is marginally more convenient, because my phone is more handy than my wallet, and marginally more secure, because if my phone is stolen it has a passcode and I can locate and/or remote-wipe it.
Ideally, this is the first step towards not having to carry a bank card. Or any cards/money. Or even keys.
One day, I hope I'm able to leave the house with nothing but my phone and have everything I need.
There are a lot of hardcore Starbuck junkies. I see them all the time. I myself am a Chick-fil-A junkie.
Ugh, you just triggered my CFA craving that I'm trying to break. Of all places to see a CFA reference
I agree that SBUX coffee isn't the best and I definitely prefer local shops, but good espresso isn't cheap. And, if you're a latte drinker milk isn't cheap either.
They do have decent benefits compared to many other food chains according to people I know who have worked there. Props to them for that.
I usually just get a skim, Grande Café Misto (ie Café au Lait) that rings in around $2 and give the barista a $1 tip. I worked through some of my college years as a barista and know it can be a difficult job at times. If I go to McDonald's, I might save a buck on the drink and am barred from tipping. However, the taste is world's apart, at least to my palate.
Almost, but not Quite
The only thing stopping this from being a hit is the lack of order taking.
That is the main reason it takes so long. People wait in line for 15 minutes and when its their turn to order its always..
" Hmmmm,.....Let's See....What do I want?? ...."
That just drives me Nuts.
Order taking would give then something useful to do with their phone,.........
Instead of deciding that it's the right time to make a phone call as soon as its their turn to order.
The only thing stopping this from being a hit is the lack of order taking.
That is the main reason it takes so long. People wait in line for 15 minutes and when its their turn to order its always..
" Hmmmm,.....Let's See....What do I want?? ...."
That just drives me Nuts.
Order taking would give then something useful to do with their phone,.........
Instead of deciding that it's the right time to make a phone call as soon as its their turn to order.
Why the hate? Seriously, why? Saying their products are overpriced is a statement of fact. Calling their clientele idiots is just mean.
I tried this once at a Starbucks in Target and she wasn't able to scan it (screen too shiny?). I will have to try another Starbucks and see what happens.
I've used the Chipotle app a few times. In my experience, the only advantage is you get to cut in line. But they generally haven't prepared my order and I have to wait for them to still do that.
Maybe I should complain.
In the AM at my Starbucks, the minute they see me they'll confirm what I'm having to get it started before I ever get to the register. Of course, that only works if you are already a familiar face with a predictable order.