One thing that’s capture my attention lately is Square’s partnership with Starbucks that will bring a mobile payment option Starbucks’ customers here in the U.S.  Basically, you’ll walk into Starbucks, pull our your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, fire up your Square app, and pay for your coffee right from your mobile device.  Aside from Starbucks using this system, other stores that are integrating Square in this fashion will have an iPad at the counter that will tell the clerk when you (the customer) are there to pick up your order.  And from the iPad, the clerk will complete the transaction.

But with Starbucks, the Square payment platform has a custom integration into Starbucks backend system so (I don’t think anyway) there will be iPad’s on the counters at Starbucks.  You’ll simply walk into Starbucks and pay for your coffee. In fact, when you walk into Starbucks, the folks at the counter will know you are there, know what you order most, and will be able to offer a whole new level of customer service that has never before been possible.

Mobile Payment Friend Recommendation Engine

I was just thinking about this payment system and how cool it would be if, while making my purchase at Starbucks, I saw a section on the payment app that shows what my friends have purchased or recommended.

Or maybe even what the most popular purchases have been at this particular Starbucks location so far that day, or week, or month.

Basically what I’m talking about here is a recommendation engine integrated directly into the Square payment processing app.  Sort of like what you see on Amazon when you make a purchase, and then you receive recommendations of what other people have purchased after purchasing your item.

Thoughts?