More people are using Starbucks' mobile payment service than Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay
Mobile payments have been on the rise in the years since companies like Apple, Google, and Samsung started implementing the technology into consumer smartphones. More than a fourth of US smartphone owners above the age of 13 will be making in-store purchases using their phones at least twice this year, according to eMarketer data. That's up 14.5% from last year.
The uptick can be attributed to the increase in merchants that now accept mobile payments, and one of those merchants is coming out ahead of even the tech giants' services with a service of its own. As this chart from Statista shows, there are more consumers using the Starbucks app to make payments than consumers using Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
Apple Pay is currently accepted by more than half of US merchants according to the eMarketer data, and Samsung Pay is the most widely accepted of the four companies in the chart. Although it can be argued that the Starbucks app was available before Apple, Google, or Samsung launched their services - and that there's probably overlap considering the Starbucks app is available for both Apple and Android - the app's use rates are an impressive feat considering its single-merchant usage.