Starbucks expands smartphone payment test to NYC and Long Island

I am sure there are hoards of users out there that live on Starbucks coffee each morning and if you live in a big city like NYC, odds are that line is long and anything that will speed up paying is a good thing. Starbucks has announced that it has rolled out its mobile payments app test to include Long island and NYC.

The app works for the iPhone, iPod touch, and for Blackberry phones. The coffee house claims that in other test areas as much as 71% of the smartphone wielding shoppers are taking advantage of the app. The app works with the user loading a money balance on the smartphone using a credit card and when they are ready to pay the app creates a barcode that can be scanned.

The user then scans the barcode at the register and the cost of the coffee is deducted from the balance on the app. That means that the user doesn't have to pull out a wallet to pay, they can just use the smartphone. The app is on the App Store right now for iPhone user and Blackberry users can get the app by texting GO to 70845.