Apple Pay to Hit Starbucks Stores This Year

Apple Pay in KFC should start early next year, while Chili’s is expected to implement a unique pay-at-the-table mobile payment solution.

If you’re looking to make your trip to Starbucks go smoother and faster, you soon will be able to take care of your caffeine fix by using Apple Pay.

Brinker worldwide EAT.N owns the Chili’s restaurant brand, while KFC is operated by Yum! This means that any consumer with a newer iPhone or Apple Watch – Apple devices that come with NFC technology – will be able to pay at Starbucks by tapping that device at a Starbucks terminal.

Apple Pay VP Jennifer Bailey announced the expansion at the Code/Mobile conference in California, while also adding that the company will be expanding the service to allow for merchants’ loyalty and rewards programs to be included in the app.

Starbucks has already begun a pilot program in a few of its stores, with the goal to reach all of the chain’s 7,500 stores in 2016.

And that is why next year, Apple Pay will be also be available to use in two popular restaurants. In-flight mobile payment could be a growth area in the future, as she mentions that you can already use Apple Pay in JetBlue flights and Delta has just incorporated Apple Pay in its app today.

When Apple Pay was first launched in October 2014, critics pointed out that it didn’t work at many stores.