Hasta La Gadget!

This week eBay board member and CEO of Starbucks Howard Schultz spearheaded an investment by the coffee giant in the mobile payment company Square. This is not the same acquisition-type situation that occurred back in 2002 when eBay picked up PayPal, but it could end up having many of the same giant results as that deal did. Speaking with Wired on the subject of this business tie, Schultz noted that after seeing a presentation about Square earlier this year, “it was very obvious to me that this was a game-changer.”

But what does this all mean for you, the Starbucks user? It means that you’ll be able to pay for your drink (and your snack, if you’re into that), much quicker, simpler, and more digital than ever before – soon! While Square is already company that’s out on the market today, this meaning you can use the little square gadget they’ve made for smartphone and tablet users in stores already, they’ve got big plans for Starbucks.

First, with Starbucks investing in Square, development between the two will be advancing at a much faster pace. Once Starbucks is ready to adopt “Pay with Square” technology, they’ll be listed in Square’s system which uses GPS location technology to identify nearby Square-ready businesses. Starbucks giant investment will mean much more than likely that they’ll be featured – at least in the coffee section.

With this system, you’ll be able to “check in” at a Starbucks before you arrive.

If you are checked in, the barista has only to identify your face and match it up with the user they’ve got in the system – and there you have it. You’ll be able to order whatever you like and the cost will be charged to your account. No devices necessary outside the first check-in on your phone. No credit cards or cash needed, either, this perhaps the most important element of the whole system.

Square doesn’t currently provide businesses with purchase history, but with Square’s hopes for next-level personalization, it is possible that you’ll be able to walk in to your favorite store in the future and walk back out without even having to specify what you want.

The usual, coffee jerk!

And there you have it!

SlashGear 101: How will I pay for Starbucks with my iPhone in the near future? is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Starbucks has inked a deal to use the Square payments system in its 7,000 US stores, as well as splashing out $25m of investment into the Square company itself. The deal, which will see credit and debit card transactions made using Square’s Pay with Square app for iOS and Android as of this fall, is expected to increase the number of times card payments are made for smaller transactions that might traditionally have demanded cash or not met a minimum payment threshold for the retailer.

Starbucks locations will also be added to the Square Directory, the list of locations which support the system, while the same data will also be leveraged for Starbucks. Eventually, Starbucks Digital Network and Starbucks mobile payment app users will be able to see the same range of Square locations in their apps.

According to the coffee chain, switching to Square for US credit and debit card transactions will reduce its payment processing costs in addition to giving the system itself a far higher profile among consumers. That’s something Square CEO Jack Dorsey is particularly keen on, going so far as to point out that even Starbucks rivals will benefit from the greater attention.

“When Starbucks builds the Square Directory into their apps and in-store Digital Network, it gives Square new visibility, driving more customers to opt-in to Square” Dorsey wrote in an open letter to users. “And with nearly 7,000 Starbucks stores soon accepting Square, these new payers will be able to find your business (including coffeehouses) and pay with their name, building community and creating value.”

In addition to the $25m investment, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz will join the Square board of directors. You can download the Pay with Square app here, for iOS or Android devices.

Starbucks gets a shot of Square for in-store payments; Invests $25m is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

While Square’s mobile payment processing platform has already picked up some major players in retail to go along with more than a million small businesses, its biggest shot in the arm to date is a new partnership with Starbucks. The chain will use Square to process credit card payments in nearly 7,000 US locations along with investing $25 million in the company, while Starbucks president, chairman and CEO Howard Shulz is joining its Board of Directors. Also notable for Square is that this fall Starbucks will be pushing features like its Pay with Square app that lets customers pay via iOS and Android apps, as well as the Square Directory of local businesses. In a letter, Square CEO Jack Dorsey pushed the platform as a way enhance local businesses and communities, but we’ll see how friendly your local coffeeshop employees are when a familiar green logo shares their payment processor.

Continue reading Starbucks switches to Square for payments, invests $25 million and will support Pay with Square

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Starbucks switches to Square for payments, invests $25 million and will support Pay with Square originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coffee addicts in the United States have been able to pay for their fix using Starbucks’ mobile application for quite some time, but now the same functionality has been extended to customers in Canada and the UK with the launch of an Android app. Anyone who downloads the Starbucks Android app will be able to pay for their orders using a linked Starbucks Card, and also check their balance, locate stores, and transfer balances.

The Android app, which will be available for phones running 2.2 and up, will let you link your Starbucks Card number. After that, you can pay for orders by letting employees scan the barcode that appears on the phone. If you don’t want to jump out of Maps to find a Starbucks store, you can do it straight from within the app.

Users in the United States have a nice new addition to the current app as well. Your Starbucks Card can now be topped up using PayPal, and the app has support for all major credit cards too. Starbucks says there are now over 14,000 locations worldwide that can accept mobile payments, and that number is getting bigger every day.

Starbucks launches Android app in UK and Canada is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.