Starbucks and Square Wallet

Starbucks Now Accepting Payments With Square Wallet

11/08/2012 @ 10:44AM

Kelly Clay

    In the article written by Kelly Clay for Forbes.com, the readers learn that starting in November, Coffee powerhouse Starbucks has began to accept Square Wallet in around 7000 stores across the UK and Canada. After a three-month wait following the announcement of the technological advance, Starbucks nationwide are ready to use the mobile application.

    With either an Andriod or IOS powered cellphone, customers can download the mobile app known as Square Wallet. The "wallet" is connected to a debit or credit card, and thus never has to be reloaded. 

    After ordering their Mocca Lattes, customers simply tap the "pay here" with their screen and enter their QR code, and then they are off on their way without any time wasted on cash registers and search for pocket change.

    The company is extremely excited about this move. Cheif Digital officer Adam Brotman stated:
       
      “We look forward to continuing to create amazing connections with our customers –  both in our stores and outside of our stores and offering our customers choices in how they want to pay. Starbucks was the first national retailer to offer its own mobile payment technology combined with a world-class loyalty program in January 2011, and we have seen a tremendous response from our customers with more than 100 million mobile transactions occurring in our U.S. stores since its launch."

   The partnership with Square provides Starbucks customers with a convenient, quick, and refreshing experience that they cannot find at other places. This competitive advantage will continue to grow with the increasingly positive technological advances such as Square's ability to tip waitresses in 2013.


     In my opinion, the future is bright for these cellphone wallets. Personally for me I know how easy it is to forget my credit card or cash when I am rushing out. However, one thing I never forget is my phone. Having the ability to put everything into one device makes everything so much easier.  
   
     In this day and age, cellphones are used for so much more than phone calls. With email, credit cards, and internet, why not incorporate our money. By connecting all of these tools, Starbucks is satisfying the consumers and their goal to be time-efficent. I think more companies will begin to utilize Square Wallets or something of a similiar purpose, but until then Starbucks will separate themselves from their competition. 

Topics: Partnership, Competitive Advantage

Forbes Original Article