US coffee chain Starbucks is now allowing customers to pay through their mobiles. Starting from Wednesday, payments from Starbucks Card Mobile app on their iPhone, iPod touch or BlackBerry mobile phones began to be accepted.

The mobile payment system, which has been tested in selected cities since 2010, was being expanded to the nearly 6,800 Starbucks around the country and the more than 1,000 Starbucks located in Target stores.With this, owners of a Blackberry smartphone, an iPhone or an iPod Touch who have downloaded the free Starbucks Card mobile application can buy drinks by just waving their mobile phone at a scanner at the cash register.

The scanner reads an on-screen barcode and debits the purchase from the Starbucks Card, which can be reloaded with funds using a credit card or with PayPal, said Starbucks.

Starbucks anticipates mobile payment will be a draw for customers looking to experience the speed, ease and convenience of paying with their mobile phone, the company said in a statement.

Besides making purchases, customers can also use the app to manage their Starbucks Card account, check their card balance, reload their card with any major credit card, check their My Starbucks Rewards status and find a nearby Starbucks using the store locator feature.

Today, one in five Starbucks transactions is made using a Starbucks Card and mobile payment will extend the way our customers experience and use their Starbucks Card, said Brady Brewer, vice president Starbucks Card and Brand Loyalty.

With mobile payment, the Starbucks Card platform further elevates the customer experience by delivering convenience, rewarding loyalty and continuing to build an emotional connection with our customers.

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