Thursday, January 20, 2011

Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) Introduces Mobile Payment Service

Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) has launched their mobile service payment initiative, whereby customers can use their phones to scan for payment.

Canaccord says, "As of yesterday, Starbucks customers no longer have to fumble for their wallets to get their coffee – they can just scan their phones. According to the Washington Post, the coffee behemoth launched its mobile payment service on Wednesday, and Blackberry and iPhone or iPod Touch users can download an app that lets them pay through a barcode sent straight to their devices. The service is integrated with Starbucks’ existing card service and mobile app, which lets customers manage their card balance, load their card with a major credit card (or PayPal account, for iPhone users), and locate the nearest store. About 6,800 stores across the country are now offering the service, with more than 1,000 in U.S. Target (NYSE: TGT) locations. This is the second big launch for Starbucks this week, as the company also announced a new drink size on Monday, the Trenta. At 31-ounces, the Trenta bests the current Vente cup by more than 10 ounces, offering caffeine addicts an extra jolt in the morning. While the cup may seem unnecessarily large, keep in mind that the large cup size at most fast food places is 32 ounces, which is still 30 mL larger than the Starbucks Trenta."

Starbucks was trading at $33.13, up $0.12, or 0.36 percent, as of 2:02 PM EST.

No comments: