Starbucks: 2nd Most Popular Mobile Payment App

A new eMarketer report has been released, assessing the popularity of common digital wallet apps. The data suggests that Starbucks’s mobile app has garnered more transactions than such giants as Samsung Pay and Google Pay. This trend only describes in-person interactions. That is, a case can be counted if a person uses the app to order their coffee and collect and pay for it when it’s ready to be served. The situation might sound surprising to some because, unlike the aforementioned digital wallet applications, the one by Starbucks is solely dedicated to coffee (or, potentially, coffee plus cake). The fact that such a specialized app can outdo multipurpose payment solutions suggests that Americans are seriously in love with the drink. And with the app, too.

If you have a closer look at historical data, however, you’ll find out that the coffee chain’s application used to be Number One among the most popular mobile payment apps in the US. It has seen major changes and improvements since then, mostly with a focus on delivering a smooth user experience. The fact that loyalty program options have been integrated with the digital payment system from early on has likely contributed to its undoubted success over the years. Before the initiative was known to be rewarding, there was some speculation that people might be reluctant to turn to technology when at brick-and-mortar stores. The Starbucks app has fortunately proven the prediction to be wrong.

Currently, there’s just one digital wallet application ahead of the coffee-centered one. The leader is Apple Pay, which also holds first place in online transactions. Its community is nearing 44 million users, while Starbucks’ presently has around 31 million people using it to pay for their coffee