Starbucks customers can now use the iPhone payment app at 1,000 Target stores

Until now the Starbucks payment app was usable at only a couple of dozen locations in Seattle and at the epicenter of the tech world. Question for baristas/customers in Seattle and other app-usable cities: HOW IS THIS PAYMENT METHOD WORKING FOR YOU? || Read "Starbucks payment app goes viral"

Comments

[Darth Sidamo.]

I hope the next step is for Starbucks to program the Iphone to actually talk to the customer about the weather so that I do not have to next time.

[Joshua]

Wake me up when this thing actually works at the real cafe stores across the US.

[Sally Ellen]

Wake me up when my iPhone actually works on the WiFi in my local Starbucks.

[Herman M.]

Wake me up before you go go.

Oh, wait, you weren't singing bad 80s songs, were you?
Customers have been looking for ways to regain their "exclusive" feeling from being a Starbucks customer. I suppose scanning your $700 status phone is one way to make yourself feel important. rolls eyes.

[Coffee drinker]

Herman,
My iPhone was $99. I got it mainly for the gps. Status cost extra I guess.

[blueinmd]

Those stores are NOT Starbucks cafes!

They are licensed by business entity which then runs them. Often times these stores are across the parking lot from actual Starbucks cafes whose partners are fighting for hours on a weekly basis.

Furthermore, licensed employees are employed by the licensee (ie Target) and don't get any of the benefits (markouts, insurance, etc).

None of which should be glorified by this site, thank you very much.

[licensedbaristaandlovingit]

oh jeez @blueinmd!

I hope you all know that it's TARGET'S progress and technology that has allowed this capability, not Starbucks.

Starbucks just happens to be the beneficiary of the technology. It's being deployed at Target for in-store coupons, texts, etc. Target also offers the same, if not better benefits. Let me ask you this- would you rather get markouts, or an employee discount on EVERYTHING Target sells. Hmmm let me think...

Better wages too...

[b-rye]

So two months ago some guy handed me his iphone to pay his drinks.... confused I tried to 'scan' it to no avail. I apologized and said I had no idea what the protocol was for this. he got all mad and paid with cash and left. I went and looked at the portal (cause wtf, I'd never heard of this) and it turns out only a handful of stores were doing. I'm in a remote market in metro detroit. so.... sorry dude!

[Herman M.]

No, the subsidized cost of your phone was $99. The true cost is much, much higher. The original iPhone was only sold unsubsidized and cost $500. The unsubsidized cost of an 8GB iPhone 3G (your phone) is $599. The 16GB 3G goes for $699, and I am sure that the 3GS would have an appropriate markup above those prices. AT&T makes the $500+ difference up as part of the contract you signed. The cell companies do such a good job with their sales pitch that most Americans fail to understand that they are paying more than the list price for their phones.

Your logic is like saying your new Mustang only cost $1500 because that's all you had to pay in order to drive it off the lot.

[shift misto]

on the licensed store topic..
we had a lic store's 2year "partner" get hired in at our real store. its been three weeks, i think she's getting the hang of things. still needs the bev recipe flip book at all times.

she's a great employee.. but it nonetheless reinforces my point that licensed stores should NOT EXIST.

as for the iphone fun. being in a real starbucks i don't scan them.. BUT i do have a customer with a slew of card numbers in an sbx iphone app that she loves to hand me to manually type in from her phone screen (while i silently wonder who she stole them from). but i just smile and hand her back her phone so she can plug it into her ear buds, and drive away deafly in her SUV while she rocks out to whatever song is next on her accident-waiting-to-happen playlist.

[shift misto]

also i would like to sympathize with
B-rye

the lack of communication continues to be astounding with sbx from corporate to partner. thank god i have myself on the mailing list or i would never know what is going on.

[Abhijeet]

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