Starbucks Will Soon Let You Tip Your Barista From Your iPhone
Starbucks announced this morning that it’s rolling out changes to its mobile application that will allow customers visiting its stores to tip their baristas from their iPhones. The feature will be made available beginning on March 19th, the company says, and will work at any of its more than 7,000 company-owned stores across the U.S., U.K. and Canada.
The app will suggest tip amounts on the transaction screen, allowing users to pick from $0.50, $1.00 and $2.00 tips, as well as a “no tip” option. In addition, it appears that you’ll be able to tip up to two hours after the transaction takes place, according to the provided screenshot.
The company has already been a forerunner in mobile payments and digital loyalty programs, having brought its own payment card and its “Starbucks Rewards” program to smartphone users on both iOS and Android through its applications. Today, Starbucks reports that over 11 percent of its transactions are now taking place via a mobile device in its stores, and nearly 10 million customers have downloaded its apps.
The decision to introduce digital tipping was prioritized for inclusion in the mobile application due to it being a top request on the company’s customer feedback portal, MyStarbucksIdeas.com, which serves as an online suggestion box where customers can add, search and vote for ideas and improvements.
The company says digital tipping will come to the Android version of the Starbucks application later this year.