Innovation That Matters

Customers pay for coffee with smartphone case

Work & Lifestyle

Coffee giant Starbucks has launched a branded smartphone touch case, which will automatically order and pay for the user's favorite coffee.

Approximately 4 billion cups of coffee are consumed each year, so any product that makes it quicker and easier for customers to order their daily grind is a welcome development. We have already seen Frank Green’s SmartCup from Australia, which can be synced with the customer’s smartphone so they can pay using their cup. Now coffee giant Starbucks has launched a branded smartphone touch case that will automatically order and pay for the user’s favorite hot drink.

starbucks

The Starbucks Touch phone case was developed in collaboration with Japanese clothing brand Uniform Experiment, and can currently be used in two Starbucks branches in Japan. The case — made for iPhone 6 — is designed to resemble a Starbucks coffee cup and features the brand’s iconic logo. It works like a prepaid Starbucks loyalty card, letting customers make cashless coffee purchases. It also enables users to save their preferred store and favorite beverage via a companion app. Upon arrival, customers simply launch the app and place their order, settling up by touching their phone case on the contactless payment device.

The Starbucks Touch is available online for JPY 3,000 — approximately USD 25. Could other accessories be used to assist store-specific touch payments?

Website: www.starbucks.co.jp

Contact: www.twitter.com/Starbucks_J