Starting next year, you’ll be able to use Apple Pay for your Starbucks fix, Recode reports. A select few of the coffee giant’s locations will roll out the program this year to test out the technology before it’s widely released.
The news was announced by Apple Pay head Jennifer Bailey at the second annual Code/Mobile event on Thursday, where companies gather to discuss how an increasingly mobile world is altering the business landscape.
Starbucks has already seen success with mobile payments within its own app, which makes up for about a fifth of all in-store transactions. It’s part of a loyalty program with which customers earn rewards by paying through the app. The coffee retailer has actually used Apple Pay in the past to let customers refill their Starbucks Cards, but this will be the first time that they can use it to pay at the register.
Apple Pay was originally criticized following its October 2014 release for not being compatible with enough stores. It has since become more inclusive and partnered up with merchants to create store loyalty programs that helped attract customers to use Apple Pay. It is unclear as of yet whether or not there will be a loyalty program or rewards points when customers utilize this Apple Pay-Starbucks partnership.
