Apple and Google may be two of the biggest companies in the tech industry, but they’re both losing to Starbucks when it comes to one important metric.
No, we’re not talking about numbers of coffees made per year, but rather the success of their respective mobile payment services. According to a new report, the Starbucks mobile payments app is currently outperforming Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay to cement its place as the most successful mobile payments app.
The Starbucks app allows users to buy their coffee with the handsets, as well as earn credits that can be used to pay for future purchases. This is carried out using QR codes for payment. While the app can only be used for Starbucks payments — unlike the other payments services mentioned — it’s still managed to outperform them in terms of adoption. (It’s also helped by the fact that it is available for both iOS and Android, unlike the other options.)
According to projections by eMarketer, by the end of 2018 Starbucks’ app is likely to have 23.4 million users. That compares with 22 million for Apple Pay, 11.1 million for Google Pay, and 9.9 million for Samsung Pay. The analytics firm also tracks forward several years and predicts that Starbucks will continue to lead by 2022.
At present, Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted payments offering, with 80 percent of merchants supporting it. However, it is also the least popular. Apple Pay is meanwhile accepted by more than half U.S. merchants. Apple Pay is currently accepted in 27 countries.
Via: Recode
