Faster Frappuccinos in China as Starbucks Joins WeChat Payments
- Coffee retailer to accept mobile payment at about 2,500 stores
- Decision comes more than a year after other foreign chains
Starbucks Turns to Tech With New CEO
This article is for subscribers only.
WeChat lets users text friends, post selfies and pay a gas bill with a smartphone. From today, the blockbuster Chinese app, known as Weixin Pay in China, can also be used to buy a Java Chip Frappuccino.
Starbucks Corp. said Thursday it will accept the payments system at about 2,500 of its cafes across China, enabling customers to complete purchases with a scan of their phone. The agreement with Tencent Holdings Ltd. means the Seattle-based chain joins foreign retailers, including KFC, Disney and Uniqlo, in embracing the cashless mobile payments ubiquitous in China.