Simplicity Matters - Starbucks for iPhone

I like coffee. I like Starbucks. My coffee doesn't have to come from Starbucks but it often does. Starbucks has successfully pushed out gift cards that could be added to a web-based account for quite some time. The ability to transfer balances to a single card is one of my favorite features. Now I don't need to worry about losing a gift card, I immediately transfer the balance on any new card to the one in my my wallet. 

Do we really need to use cards now that smart phones have been invented? twitter.com/JimLetourneau/…
— Jim Letourneau (@JimLetourneau) December 24, 2011

...while the Cardstar app has the right idea for eliminating the need for cards, it doesn't work at gas pumps (you need to swipe a card), it doesn't work at Shoppers Drug Mart (you need to swipe a card) and often it requires manual entry of the card number. Often the scanned card number has a few extra digits that screw up the manual entry. So in the absence of a perfect card elimination solution, it is encouraging to see that one company is getting it right.

The Starbucks for iPhone app has some great options but I use it regularly to pay for coffee. I need the app to do this one thing really well...and it does. It loads quickly. I can switch from showing my balance to a scanner code and instantly pay for my coffee in most stores. My balance updates in seconds. I like the giant green thumb sized button. 


For me this app works better than the alternatives; paying with cash or fumbling around in my wallet to find my Starbucks card. I can still pay with my card or cash if I don't have my phone with me. Let me reiterate, the reason this app is a winner is that it is better than the status quo. It is easy to use and fast. 


There's a long road ahead for consumer payment options but its nice to see something better than cash or AFWC.*

*Another F*cking Wallet Card

UPDATE

My Christmas stocking included 2 Starbucks gift cards. Adding them to my main card using the app was a breeze. Transferring balances from one card to another is a simple drag and drop exercise.