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Square to replace its digital wallet app with one that lets you order dinner
Square pulled its Wallet app from the App Store Monday in order to make way for something new: Square Order. With Wallet, you could check in to a restaurant and pay your bill using just your name. With Order, you can still pay, except now you can select your artisan grilled cheese while en route to the cafe down the street and complete the transaction on your phone, bypassing the line entirely. It's not just for restaurants either -- we took it for a test drive in February, where we purchased a scarf from Uniqlo. Square followed that trial with beta testing in several take-out restaurants in the San Francisco and New York, which is also where Order is launching today. If you don't live in either city, you won't be able to use the app for now. However, you can get roughly the same experience on the web through Square's recently announced product Pickup.
Starbucks gets increasingly digital, 10 percent of transactions made by phone
Counting out nickels and dimes at the cash register as you pay for your overpriced coffee is quickly becoming fodder for back-in-my-day stories. Ever since Starbucks debuted Square Wallet payments last November, the pay-by-phone approach has proved to be a popular strategy. According to a recent Wall Street Journal report, mobile purchases now account for 10 percent of the chain's transactions, a number higher than many would have expected. Considering that Starbucks announced yesterday that it would soon introduce wireless charging to a handful of locations in Silicon Valley, it looks like the company is determined to build its growing street tech cred.
Square starts offering gift cards, ties them into Passbook for iOS 6 recipients (video)
Square payments have so far been self-centered affairs that won't let us share the wealth with others. In rather convenient timing for the season, updates to Square Register and Square Wallet for Android and iOS have made a little of that sought-after generosity possible through the introduction of gift cards. Americans can now give and receive credit for any location that uses Square Register to process payments: if friends would like nothing more than to treat themselves to triple-shot espressos at the local indie coffee shop, you can make their day. The update also brings a treat for the Apple-inclined who've kept up-to-date with iOS 6, letting them redeem their cards quickly through Passbook instead of diving into Square Wallet or QR codes printed on old-fashioned paper. We're still waiting on word of gift card availability for our Canadian friends, but most everyone in the US just hast to check for the relevant app updates to spread some affection.
Starbucks begins offering Square Wallet purchases from today
While you probably won't be able to get Jack Dorsey to buy you a grande spearmint green tea the next time you go for coffee (we should know, we've tried), you can at least use his payment service. Yes, today's the day that Starbucks begins accepting Square Wallet purchases at 7,000 of its stores -- just scan a QR code or NFC-tap your smartphone to make a payment. In 2013, you'll also be given the ability to tip your barista, presumably assuming you can go through the awkwardness of pre-selecting how much you think their service is worth in front of them.
Square launches in Canada, streamlines payments on the world stage
For all of Square's fast growth, it's been exclusively the domain of US shopkeeps; others had to scrounge for an alternative, if there was one at all. The payment pioneer clearly isn't content to isolate itself or anyone else, as it's making its international debut with support for Canada. Locals can immediately request the free Mobile Card Reader and swipe credit cards with an Android or iOS device at the same flat, 2.75 percent rate that more experimental American stores know very well. Complete equality isn't available to Canucks just yet, as Square Wallet won't be available until 2013, but the access remains a step forward for Canadian merchants that don't want to be tied down to a terminal any more than their southern neighbors.
Square making Starbucks debut in November, will accept digital tips in 2013
If you're wondering when Starbucks is finally going to get around to rolling out Square, wonder no more. The company announced that starting in November customers will be able to pay for their no-fat soy mocha lattes using the platform founded by Jack Dorsey. Of course, being able to use Square Wallet at the nation's largest coffee chain is a major milestone for the mobile payment scene as a whole, but loyal customers likely already have a Starbucks card and its associated app. Only problem with both Square and the Starbucks app is you still need to carry cash to tip your barista. Thankfully, at some point in 2013, the company will start accepting tips through its own app and Square Wallet. Which also means you'll be out of convenient excuses for not tipping, you cheap bastard.
