Starbucks to roll out NFC payment in UK

Starbucks to roll out contactless payment with Barclaycard

Starbucks has signed a deal with Barclaycard, in partnership with Visa Europe, to bring contactless payments to its coffee shops. From Spring 2012, customers in selected stores will be able to pay for their coffees by simply holding their contactless credit or debit card over a payment terminal.

Following last week’s launch of the UK’s first contactless mobile payment service, by Barclaycard and Orange, customers will also be able to pay using their mobile phone. Available to Orange customers who use a ‘Quick Tap’ enabled handset, customers will just have to tap their mobile phone on a contactless reader to make purchases of £15 and under.

Subject to a successful initial pilot of contactless in Starbucks shops, the technology will roll out across the bulk of Starbucks coffeehouses in the UK and Ireland. Starbucks joins a number of high street retailers in announcing the introduction of the payment technology.

Pete Blower, Starbucks EMEA Technology Services Manager, says: “At Starbucks we’re as committed to customer service as we are to great coffee. We’re seeing more and more people use cards for payment and contactless will allow us to serve our customers more quickly and with greater ease.”

Since launching the first contactless card in 2007, Barclaycard has led the industry on rolling out contactless payment terminals and together with Barclays have issued over 80 per cent of the contactless-enabled credit and debit cards in the UK.

Continues at: Barclays Media Centre.