Apps To Help Manage Your Practice, Your Travel and Your Caffeine

Once your card data is loaded in your phone, the barista scans a barcode on the screen of your smartphone to pay for drinks, and the charge is deducted from your Starbucks Card account automatically. The barcode does not require that you have active data service on the device, so this app can be run from devices which are not always connected to the internet like iPods or Wi-Fi only tablets ([2]).

In the event you are away from your usual neighborhood, the app will also let you search for Starbucks outlets near you. Results can be filtered by amenities such as Wi-Fi internet access, drive-thru service, or hours of operation and users can also manage their Starbucks account from their phone or device.

The Starbucks App is free, and is available for devices running iOS, Android, and BlackBerry operating systems.

[Figure 1: Mobile CS from Thomson Reuters]

[Figure 2: Concur Mobile allows users to work with expenses as they are incurred from anywhere.]

Figure 3: The Starbucks App allows users to locate and pay for their Starbucks purchases using their smartphone or tablet.

[1] I previously wrote about an app called Key Ring, which keeps digital barcodes from your customer loyalty cards from most major retailers on your smart phone.

[2] Although paying by phone is accepted at all Starbucks owned and operated locations, many outlets inside department stores, train stations, and airports are actually run by outside companies like Target, Kroger, HMS Host and the Delaware North Companies, and may not have the hardware to scan smartphone barcode based payments.