Starbucks Apps Provide Coffee Customization, Education, and Payment on the iPhone

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Amidst the economic downturn, Starbucks has turned to the iPhone to help spark consumer’s interest in its coffee products. It has just launched two iPhone apps, myStarbucks and Starbucks Card Mobile. myStarbucks provides users with store information, drinks customization, as well as its branded coffee and food information. Starbucks Card Mobile, on the otherhand, allows users to manage their Starbucks card over the iPhone. In certain locations near Silicon Valley and Seattle, users can even produce a bar code via this app to be scanned by Starbucks employees. Starbucks fist attempt at iPhone apps appears to be very successful, with mysStarbucks already reaching number 7 on the Top 25 free apps chart within days of its release.

myStarbucks app includes many features for individual customization. However, the most notable feature is its Drink Builder feature. Drink Builder allows users to customize their drinks. Everything from number of espresso shots, type of syrup, toppings, milk, and more can be customized. It is very interesting for the conventional coffee drinker to learn just how much customization a cup of latte can have. Make your own Venti Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino with double espresso shots in classic syrup with chocolate powder in soy milk. The image of the drink changes depending on the type of drink the user chooses. Nutritional values for each drink can also be access with a touch of a button. Too bad the nutritional facts and image doesn’t reflect the various customizations users do to their drink. All these drink customizations can be fun, but users can use it to remember their friend’s favorite drinks. The app allows access to iPhone’s contact list when user tries to save their customized drink. myStarbucks users can now order drinks for their friends who wants that specially customized latte.

myStarbucks also allows users to add their favorite stores. Using Google Maps and GPS, users can locate their nearest Starbucks. Clicking on it will provide store hours, phone numbers, amenities the store provides, and driving directions. Tapping on the “Get Directions” button will take users to the Google Maps app with driving directions ready.

Lastly, myStarbucks provides coffee and food information. Coffee information is pretty informative. Tapping the “See Photos” button will allow users to see some interesting images related to that specific type of coffee. Users may even learn where that coffee is produced. Perhaps it’s somewhere in Africa?

The second Starbucks app, Starbucks Card Mobile allows users manage their Starbucks membership card. In parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle, where lots of Starbucks members with iPhones are located, users can even pay with their membership card. It is interesting to note that this function is not included with the popular myStarbucks app. Using the myStarbucks app to attract more Starbucks card members seem to be a better business decision.

Food and drink customizations and interactions apps seem to be very popular these days. Even Pizza Hut are allowing users to order their pizzas via their own iPhone app. This is just another example of how iPhone apps are changing our daily lives.

Via The Apps Machine under Starbucks Food and Drinks Custumization and Ordering