September 2012

Starbucks to offer magical cashless payment method

The Square Fairy will just debit it from your pocket

Square is the hot new kid at school, the Silicon Valley start-up most likely to be labeled "an upstart" or "disruptive." But I have to tell you, in the case of Square, the goofy jingoistic business lingo may be correct. 

Square made its name as the company which offers a white cube shaped dongle that lets anyone take credit card payments. If you have a smart phone or a tablet with internet access, you can take payment by credit card just by swiping it through the little gadget. 
 
I live in a remote rural area, and I was pleased to see that one of the nearby farm stands now accepts cards through Square. It's so modern of them - trust me, when you get out of the city, no one takes credit cards. 
 
Square's next leap forward is going to involve Starbucks, and it will be happening very soon. The vision is that you can walk into any Starbucks with your cell phone in your pocket, and have your order added onto your tab. No cash involved, no need to hand over your card. Just tell them your name, and poof: your account is magically deducted the cost of your latte.