CALIFORNIA: Two minutes after ordering my tall sugar-free vanilla latte on my iPhone, a barista called my name saying it was ready. Starbucks plans to roll out the feature to more cities in the coming months and expects to complete a national rollout next year.
A minute or two after that, my piping hot Panini came out of the oven, ready to eat. I didn’t have to stand in line, fight the crowds, talk to anyone or even be inside the Brewery Blocks Portland Starbucks to place the order.
That’s the beauty of the new mobile ordering service Starbucks launched today, allowing customers to place their coffee and food orders in advance and pick them up without ever having to stand in line.
The service is available to owners of Starbucks’ loyalty card, and synchronizes their account and balance information with their iPhone so they are charged the correct amount. An Android version is set to be launched soon as well.
The app’s loyalty scheme will encourage people to qualify as a ‘gold level member’ to get free drinks. Customers paying with a registered Starbucks Card will get a free drink every 15 visits. After 50 visits they move from Green to Gold Level and get extra benefits such as free espresso shots, soy, syrups and whipped cream.
