The order and pay app for lovers of Starbucks has now been expanded from being available in only the Pacific Northwest to being available nationwide in their nearly 7,400 US locations. The app was expected to be rolled out nationwide by the end of the year, but with the success the company saw in the Northwest they now launched it for the entire country three months ahead of schedule.
Mobile order and pay apps have become a growing trend in the world of fast food and Starbucks is just the latest company to jump on the trend along with others like Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. USA Today has reported that in the stores that were using the app it accounted for nearly 20 percent of payment methods.
The nationwide launch of the app is the first step on the way to Starbucks ultimate goal of offering delivery as apart of their service. The Seattle based company has already begun testing delivery by partnering with third party delivery services in both San Francisco and New York.
Starbucks is now in the process of also partnering with the ride share app Lyft as a way for their customers to earn reward points when they use the Lyft for rides. This could also lead to Lyft becoming somewhat of a delivery service for Starbucks similar to the Uber Eats program offered by Lyft’s direct competitor Uber, who have implemented the system in major cities like LA, Chicago and New York.
This is all in the name of convenience as the world moves even more towards using technology for nearly everything. This app will allow customers to skip paying and go right to picking up their food or drinks, as well as knowing exactly when their orders are ready, cutting down the wait time significantly.