Starbucks has recently announced that stores in over 1000 Targets and other locations in Seattle and California will now accept mobile payment using the Starbucks Card Mobile Application. Using this application, the customer can pay for their coffee by scanning their phone at the point of sale. All they have to do is enter their card number and the phone will display a barcode can be used the same way as the Starbucks Card to make purchases. “Now that customers can use the Starbucks Card Mobile application at Starbucks locations within Target stores nationwide, they will have more opportunities to experience the ease and convenience of paying for their favorite Starbucks beverage with a flash of their iPhone or iTouch devices” says Brad Brewer, vice president of Starbucks Card for Starbucks.
This application is targeted to any Starbucks junkie, however it is extremely convenient for someone who commutes and gets Starbucks every morning because they are typically on a tight schedule and their time is valuable. It’s for someone who likes to get coffee everyday on their morning commute but can’t afford to wait in a long line to pay. No one wants to miss their daily cup of coffee because they are running late, and no one wants to be late because they had to get their daily cup of coffee. Making paying for their drinks and food so much easier and faster by speeding up the line queue time and the time it takes to purchase their items will help these loyal customers out. Having a card like this on a phone is good because you don’t need to pull out your wallet and it can’t be lost. It’s also convenient for Starbucks to use this type of a mobile card because it’s helpful in keeping track of customers and analyzing consumer behavior. It’s a good marketing move because if customers have put money on this card on their phone, they will be way more inclined to get coffee at Starbucks than anywhere else.
