Starbucks has something big shaking, and we mean that literally.
In the coming days, customers who pay for drinks and food with their iPhones will also be able to tip their baristas via this innovative mobile platform.
So how will a tip be tossed in? A planned app update set for March 19th will deliver a digital tipping option. In short, users will be able to add a tip of anywhere from $.50 to $2 to the baristas.
Until now, customers using either their mobile phone app or credit or debit cards to pay could not include a tip on their bill. About 10 million customers have already downloaded the Starbucks app, which accounts for about 11% of in-store purchases.
Making matters even simpler for users, once the app is open, reaching the pay screen only requires a shake of the phone. No longer will Starbucks users have to page through the various menus to reach the bar code.
Starbucks spokeswoman Linda Mills tells CNN that the app is being rolled out to iPhones first with an update for Android phones expected to follow soon.
All told, mobile payments solutions are expected to be a staple of the dining and retail experience in the coming years. Led by solutions providers ranging from the globally recognized Visa, to trusted mobile credit card processing giants like PayAnywhere, the mobile payment industry’s growth is now accelerating at a pace few thought imaginable only a few short years ago.
