If you're a big coffee drinker, and an even bigger Apple fan, you've probably been waiting for that fateful day when you can roll up to your local Starbucks—iPhone in hand—and wave it across a magical little reader device to pay for your coffee.
Yes, we know that you can already do that via the Starbucks iOS app. You can't, however, rest your iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on a reader and pay for your drinks with Apple Pay because Starbucks is not an Apple Pay retail partner.
Starbucks is, however, now supporting Apple Pay within its app. Confused? We don't blame you. It's actually pretty simple, however. You can't pay for a coffee with Apple Pay at Starbucks, but you can now reload your Starbucks card using Apple Pay through the official Starbucks app. (Assuming you haven't set your card to automatically reload with a set amount of cash whenever it gets low.)
So, here's the deal: You reload your card with Apple Pay in the app, and you then use the app itself to pay for your coffee. Apple Pay, in a way, pays for your coffee, but only by the transitive property. And, yes, the entire process requires Touch ID to work, so at least you'll be secure in knowing that nobody else is taking your smartphone and benevolently reloading your card for you.
This isn't the only change that's arriving with version 3.2.1 of Starbucks' iOS app. The app now features an "enhanced" menu that dumps caloric information around menu items, which may or may not be the final straw you need to not order that insane frappuccino drink anymore. The Mobile Order and Pay process, currently being tested in Portland, has also been "enhanced."
A new vendor that does accept Apple Pay? JetBlue. Fliers with an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus can use Apple Pay to purchase premium offerings, like EatUp snack boxes and a la carte food, premium beverages, onboard amenities, and "Even More Space" seating.
For more, check out How to Use Apple Pay.