If you are one of the millions of people who happened to buy into the cryptocurrency craze, your morning routine just got a little more interesting. According to multiple reports, Starbucks is currently undergoing steps that will allow future customers to pay with Bitcoin. This means grabbing a cup of coffee before your daily commute could be as simple as flipping over some digital credits. CNBC journalists say that the global restaurant chain is partnering up with tech giant Microsoft to create a platform that will exchange crypto into money at various Starbucks locations.
Maria Smith, vice president of partnerships and payments for Starbucks, released a statement about the forthcoming integration. “As the flagship retailer, Starbucks will play a pivotal role in developing practical, trusted and regulated applications for consumers to convert their digital assets into US dollars for use at Starbucks,” she stated. “As a leader in Mobile Pay to our more than 15 million Starbucks Rewards members, Starbucks is committed to innovation for expanding payment options for our customers.”
The proposed feature will, in essence, permit costumers to exchange their Bitcoin into US bucks at any Starbucks location. Skeptics of cryptocurrency point to the constant flux of value among digital currency providers, but experts are saying a Starbucks cosign may help legitimize the phenomena. Unfortunately, there isn’t a hard timeline for the update, so it looks like we’ll all have to settle on buying our brews with paper or plastic.
