Starbucks extends mobile payment trial to New York City

Coffee giant Starbucks expanded its Starbucks Card Mobile payment trial to close to 300 company-operated stores across New York City and Long Island, enabling local consumers to purchase beverages via iPhone, iPod touch and select BlackBerry smartphones. Starbucks first launched the mobile payment trial across more than a dozen West Coast locations in fall 2009--upon downloading the Starbucks Card Mobile App, devices display a barcode that customers can use as they would their Starbucks Card, at the same time enjoying the same benefits as shoppers using traditional registered cards including free syrup and milk options along with brewed coffee refills at no extra charge on the same visit. In addition to mobile payments, the app enables customers to manage their card account, reload their card balance directly via major credit card, check their My Starbucks Rewards status or identify nearby Starbucks stores.

Starbucks expanded the Starbucks Card Mobile App trial to more than 1,000 Target locations across the U.S. this spring--the company adds that the program targets iOS and BlackBerry devices because the two platforms are used by more than 71 percent of Starbucks smartphone-carrying customers. The overall Starbucks Card program now accounts for almost one in five in-store transactions--Starbucks adds that customers are on track to load more than $1 billion on their Starbucks Cards this year, with card sales up 17 percent over last year and reloads on existing cards increasing more than 59 percent compared year-over-year.

Last week, Starbucks introduced the Starbucks Digital Network, an in-store multimedia platform spanning nearly 6,800 U.S. company-operated locations. Optimized for all WiFi-enabled smartphones, tablets and laptop devices including Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone and iPad, the Starbucks Digital Network will offer free, handpicked content available exclusively within the confines of Starbucks stores, promising snackable entertainment and news experiences tailored for consumer visits spanning anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. Powered by Starbucks WiFi infrastructure, Starbucks Digital Network is managed and hosted by Yahoo--the HTML5-based platform promises touch- and swipe-friendly visual design elements as well as adjustable navigation tools that span across multiple mobile operating systems and device form factors. In addition, iPhones with the myStarbucks App will recognize customers upon their entrance into the store and offer an automatic connection to the network.

For more on the Starbucks Card Mobile payment trial:
- read this release

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