The mobile loyalty app lets consumers make in-store purchases as part of the company’s national program that is now available at nearly 6,800 company-operated stores. Starbucks released the iPhone version earlier this year.

“Yes, we’re seeing a steep increase in user adoption of the payments solution,” said Drew Sievers, cofounder/CEO of mFoundry, San Francisco.

“There is very strong demand for the product,” he said.

Founded in 1971, Starbucks is a global roaster and retailer of specialty arabica coffee.  

The coffee giant tapped mFoundry to power the application and mobile payment program.

How it works
Consumers can enter their Starbucks Card number in the mobile app.

Then, their device will display a bar code and customers can use their smartphone as a Starbucks Card to make purchases.

Starbucks customers can manage their Starbucks Card account, check their card balance, reload their card, check their My Starbucks Rewards status and find a nearby location via the mobile app.

Additionally, consumers can check their balance and track the stars they can earn toward free beverages.

Customers can also reload their balance and add additional money to the card.

Consumers can scan the card at the point-of-sale

“We already supported iOS and RIM, and there were a lot of requests from the Android ecosystem,” Mr. Sievers said.

Mobile payments
To make a payment, consumers can pay for goods and services by holding their smartphone in front of a scanner on the Starbucks counter.

Then, they can scan the bar code on the screen to make a purchase.

Last October, Starbucks tested the program in nearly 300 company-operated stores in New York City and Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island (see story).

“This will finally give the Android phone user a way to pay at the point-of-sale, just like the iOS and RIM users,” Mr. Sievers said.