Starbucks' Mobile App Launched 15+ Years Ago - Here's What The First Version Did
How a loyalty app boosts business - case study Starbucks App increases sales!
Holly Tishfield
The year is 2025, and, with the explosion of modern technology, we have almost everything we could ever need right on the little devices in our pockets. No need to carry cash or even a debit card, since you can load it on a digital wallet. Your insurance card that used to sit in the glove box of your car? Obsolete, now that you can view it on an app. Ordering food on a phone is also easier than ever, but it was Starbucks' mobile app that was among the first to change the game.
When the Starbucks Card Mobile app launched in 2009, it included pretty basic features, such as an interactive drink builder, store locators, and specific information about food/beverage items on the Starbucks menu. The app was created to increase customer satisfaction, giving people an easy way to check their Reward balances (here's what you should know before redeeming Starbucks Rewards at different locations) and find a Starbucks closest to them. Just two years later, the Starbucks mobile app went through a revamp that introduced mobile payments, a revolutionary concept that was unrivaled by competitors at the time.
The Starbucks Mobile App Got An Upgrade – But The Original Wasn't Too Bad, Either
In 2011, when Starbucks officially launched its mobile payment option, the company was eons ahead of the technology that powers modern touch payments. Starbucks didn't wait years for the technology to develop. Instead, the company employed Benjamin Vigier (the same guy who invented PayPal Mobile) to create a 2D barcode that could be scanned in stores in lieu of an actual debit card or Starbucks gift card. Turning payments digital through the Starbucks mobile app meant that customers could monitor transactions, check balances, reload gift cards, and easily pay at registers.
Now, you can pay with your Starbucks mobile app through your smartwatch, order by voice command on your mobile device, and even check what song is being played in your local store. Not to mention engaging in challenges and games through the mobile app that allow members to earn more Rewards. And the app is still constantly changing; just a few years ago, Starbucks planned to improve its ordering system and amp up service with a big investment, but all of the modern benefits can be traced back to that simplistic 2009 app launch.
