A cup of coffee, a glimpse of the future

I just checked another item off my I-know-the-future-has-arrived list. I used my phone to buy something.

It was as easy as having the right application, having money in the proper account, heading to the merchant, tapping a few times and showing the phone's screen to a cashier, who used a blinking scanner to complete the transaction.

Where did this happen, you ask? At Starbucks. Specifically, the Starbucks inside the Target store at 4001 S. Maryland Parkway. I was hoping to find a participating store closer to my home or office, but I guess I’ll need to be patient.

The app needed to make this happen is the Starbucks mobile card app. It's free at the Apple App Store. Once installed, I logged in with my Starbucks rewards card account and was ready to go. The balance on my Starbucks rewards card, which is tied to the app, reflected the new balance immediately after the purchase.

It all worked quite smoothly.

The Starbucks mobile card app includes a short video explaining how the system works. It also includes two store locators, one for all Starbucks stores and one for stores using the iPhone app payment system. I chose to activate the optional security pass code, which means I must first tap the four-digit code to use the app.

The cashier told me she hasn't seen too many people using the app payment system yet. There are six locations in Las Vegas, each inside a Target store. According the embedded video, there are Starbucks across the globe that accept mobile payments. Use the app to find the location closest to you.

I'm guessing the Starbucks and Target people are doing some research and will expand and publicize the no-cash payments system when the companies are ready. In the meantime, I'm happy to say I've joined the mobile phone point-and-pay club.

But I'm still waiting for that flying car.