public relations…social media…commmunications…marketing. Repeat.

Starbucks has entered into the next stage of mobile apps. Yesterday, they announced the launch of their mobile payment app. The app is available for iPhone, iPod touch and Blackberry users. An app will also be made for Android phones, but the launch date has not been made public.

As of yesterday, 6,800 company-operated Starbucks stores nationwide kicked off the launch of the Starbucks Card Mobile payment program. The Starbucks Card Mobile already lets consumers reload their Starbucks cards and track rewards.  To pay with their phone, all app users need to do is select “touch to pay” and hold the barcode that appears on the screen up to the 2-D scanner at the register.

The Starbucks Card Mobile payment program is awesome for a few reasons:

• It speeds up services and improves customer satisfaction.
• It shows that Starbucks is listening to and watching their customers.

o   Their customers have requested a mobile payment option.

o   They have been monitored in line using their smart phones.

o   One in five transactions are made using a Starbucks card. *^{courtesy of “Starbucks Starts Accepting Mobile Payment,” Mashable}

• It is cutting-edge (to use a cliché phrase).  Mobile apps are designed to bring convenience to the user.  In this case the mobile app is still bringing convenience to the user, but not removing the foot traffic received by Starbucks. In fact, this new faster, more tech-savvy mobile payment method might increase foot traffic!

I commend Starbucks on their mobile efforts. This is a great example of an organization that understands its audience and evolves to better suite them. Bravo Starbucks.

We’ll see whose next…