Starbucks iOS App Gains Support for Apple Pay

Starbucks today updated its iOS app to add support for Apple Pay, making it possible for iOS users to reload their Starbucks cards using Apple's payments service.

Starbucks was listed as an Apple Pay app partner when Apple Pay launched in October, but it has taken several months for the feature to be available to Apple Pay users. Apple Pay can only be used in the Starbucks app for reloading Starbucks cards because Starbucks is not an Apple Pay retail partner.

The coffee chain uses its own bar code-based system for in-store purchases with the Starbucks app and Starbucks locations are not outfitted with the NFC technology that would enable Apple Pay. There has been no word on whether Starbucks plans to implement NFC and support for in-store use of Apple Pay.

apple_pay_starbucks
Along with Apple Pay support, today's Starbucks app update also introduces an enhanced menu with calorie counts and a better experience for Mobile Order & Pay in Portland.

Introducing Apple Pay and a Few Helpful Changes

Now you can use Apple Pay to quickly reload your Starbucks Card. Touch ID makes it faster than ever.

By popular demand, the menu is enhanced. When you browse our menu you'll now find additional calorie information on menu items. We've also enhanced the experience for Mobile Order & Pay in Portland.

This update addresses various bugs and stability issues.

The Starbucks iOS app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...

Top Rated Comments

MrCornfed Avatar
141 months ago
.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
aolbites Avatar
141 months ago
Crashes every time I try and reload. Closed the app. Restarted the phone, nothing works.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
141 months ago
It's 50 in the UK. You need to go pretty much once a week to maintain gold status.

Or seven times a day for one intense and incredibly jittery week, during which you can talk at 900 words per minute and see through walls.

Seriously though, once you're gold, they have a lot of little promotions along the lines of "try X and get 3 bonus stars", or "earn Y stars this week and we'll give you Z bonus stars". If you take them up on a few promos you don't need to "earn" anywhere near the whole 50 (30 in the US) stars.

And with an iPhone 6 running iOS 8.1.3, Apple Pay as the only form of payment registered, and a decent balance already on the card... yeah, it crashes every time, at what seems like the point where iOS would be handing control back to the app.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jimrod Avatar
141 months ago
Ahh Apple Pay, I remember this fabled feature from when I bought my iPhone 6... So can I use it in the UK yet? Can I even get iTunes Radio yet? I can't help feeling I'm paying for features im not receiving...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
linuxcooldude Avatar
141 months ago
No thanks. I stopped going to Starbucks after they canceled my gold card. I go to McDonalds for my coffee. They have better tasting coffee IMO.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NightStorm Avatar
141 months ago
Spoke with a customer service representative this afternoon who stated that the crashing issue has been identified and their technical team is working on a fix.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)