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Starbucks wants you to use its app for payments in other stores

Starbucks' mobile apps could soon let you buy much more than your next grande latte. The coffee shop's digital lead, Adam Brotman, tells Recode that the coffee shop giant is talking to companies about using its app for payments and loyalty programs in other stores. He's not naming any would-be allies, but the strategy would turn a fairly ordinary restaurant app into more of a universal digital wallet that just happens to focus on drinks. And even if that doesn't pan out, Starbucks is still committed to expanding the role of its software -- it's determined to offer coffee pre-orders across the US, regardless how long it takes to make the feature work.