“Pay by phone” has a new meaning this week as Starbucks announced that it is rolling out a way for customers to pay for their coffee with their smart phones. Leave your money at home, your phone is your new wallet. Don’t dismiss this as just being great for Starbucks. This has implications for businesses of every size, and even B2B (Business to Business) operations will eventually be affected.
Starbucks brand-loyalty cards are already used to pay for one in five transactions. This is the next logical step, according to Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Brand Loyalty. “With mobile payment, the Starbucks Card platform further elevates the customer experience by delivering convenience, rewarding loyalty and continuing to build an emotional connection with our customers.”
Read the rest of this article in my MediaBullseye.com column this week. (Sorry, but they had first dibs on this one!).
