Starbucks Tests Mobile Ordering That Lets Customers Skip the Line

Starbucks customers in Portland, Oregon can now place their orders through the Starbucks iPhone app ahead of time -- and skip the line. Starbucks is testing the 'Mobile Order and Pay' service, in which customers use an in-app menu and view wait times at nearby locations. Once the order is confirmed, a designated pick-up time is given, at which the customer can head straight to the hand-off counter in the store. The system is the most important addition to the Starbucks mobile app since 2011, according to Chief Digital Officer Adam Brotman. He said Starbucks currently processes 7 million mobile payment transactions per week, which should rise even more once mobile ordering becomes more broadly available. Starbucks expects the program will also drive store traffic.