I know almost all of you have heard of Starbucks. I love coffee and drink it on a regular basis, and one can argue that there are many coffee shops with better brew, but Starbucks is always there for you no matter where you go around the world. And its coffee is always reliable and its mixed drinks are second to none.
There have been 5,000,000-10,000,000 installs of the Starbucks app from the Google Play Store, but many people still don’t know the latest features in the app. Let’s check it out.
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Starbucks Pay
Before Android Pay and Samsung Pay were released, Starbucks already had an easy way to pay using your smartphone. All you need to do is set up a credit card or PayPal account to fund your Starbucks account. Once sufficient funds are added to your account, you could just generate a barcode and place your device in front of a scanner after you place an order. You will hear a beep, and the record of your purchase would be logged in your history. It’s very simple to pay this way and you don’t need to bring an ID or wallet with you.
I happen to walk to my nearby Starbucks at night with my dog and grab a hot chocolate or eggnog latte for dessert. It’s really convenient not to have to carry my wallet around with me late at night.
Even though Starbucks doesn’t use Android Pay, I wish other places I frequent, like the grocery store, would allow me to make purchases the same way. Wallets are usually filled with back-up cards, reward cards, receipts, insurance cards, etc. It’s nice to leave my chunky wallet behind.
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Mobile Order and Pay
From the Starbucks app you can look over the entire menu from your phone, and place an order before you pick it up. The menu at Starbucks is HUGE. Who knew you could order a strawberries & creme Frappuccino? There are teas, Refreshers, fresh juice, iced teas, iced coffees, espressos, Frappuccinos, hand-crafted sodas, smoothies, oh yeah, and fresh brewed coffee.
Rather than being rushed in line to pick what you want, you are free to take your time from the privacy of your own home or car to peruse the entire menu from the app. It’s worth looking over the entire menu because you might want to try something new. The strawberries & creme Frappuccino could be your new favorite drink that you never knew existed. Or if you’re in a rush and on a road trip, just place an order at a Starbucks on your route, run in and grab your order, and get back on your merry way.
Again, this is another feature I would love to see in more apps for other restaurants I frequent so I don’t have to wait in line.
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Rewards – from the reward page
More than great drinks. Great rewards.
Enjoy all this and more with your membership to our Loyalty Program:
- Free drink or food rewards (some restrictions apply)
- Custom offers on items you enjoy when you opt in to receive My Starbucks Rewards email
- Early access to new products
- Easy payment with our mobile app
Here’s how it works
To enjoy free drink and food rewards, you’ll need to earn Stars. Get Stars when:
- You pay at a participating store with your registered Starbucks, Teavana or La Boulange Card or the mobile app
- You buy specially marked Starbucks products where you buy groceries
- You buy coffee or tea products at Starbucks Store online
Most of you frequent Starbucks already so why not take advantage of the free reward program? You can get free refills on coffee for a year just for earning five stars. If you earn 30 stars within 12 months you’re promoted to the Gold Level where you can earn a free drink or food item. You’ll also get a personalized Gold Card so your barista will know you are special.
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App Usage
Using the app is as simple as it gets. Once you load credit onto your Starbucks app, ordering, paying and earning rewards are simple. Starbucks left out annoying advertisements, and click bait from within the app, and made a clean and simple user interface. Simplicity wins in this case. There’s nothing you don’t need to make the app more confusing than it really needs to be. You can even send gift cards through the app for your friends and family.
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Summary
If you haven’t tried the Starbucks app yet, or if you haven’t used it in awhile, now is the time to download it again and start earning rewards. You don’t have to expose your credit/debit cards with the automated barcode generator within the app, and you don’t need your chunky wallet when you walk into the coffee shop. Better yet, you can order and pay in advance from the app so you can avoid waiting in line for your order.
The loyalty system is a great way to earn free food and coffee from Starbucks as well. I highly recommend the Starbucks app for you coffee lovers.
Download the Starbucks app at the Google Play Store.
