We can’t pay for everything on our cell phones, yet. Today, Starbucks announces that it has launched nationwide its mobile payment system. Using a smart phone app, a bar code shows up on the phone’s screen and the user holds it under a scanner.
I’ve personally used the payment method at a trial Starbucks in Seattle. The first time was to just do it. The second time, I left my Starbucks card at home and only had my phone with me. A couple clicks later, I paid for my coffee.
The app has the ability to store your credit card information so you can quickly “reload” your card, check your balance, and check your rewards. The barcode scanning method still does seem like digitizing an antiquated system (bar code). Watch out for Google’s upcoming mobile payment system using near field communications (NFC).