Starbucks

Coffee and doughnut shops such as Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme have been at the forefront of mobile payments, and this technology could soon develop into a completely cashierless experience.

As growth slows in key markets, Starbucks Corp. is funding a new investment arm with $100 million to identify and tap into companies that are developing new technology and products related to food and retail.

Starbucks is being pressured to add an in-app option for deliveries rather than redirect customers to Uber's app.

More innovative thinking will be needed to achieve competitive advantage and differentiation without breaking the bank, an gaming is an emerging option, according to Simon-Kucher & Partners’ Wei Ke and Wenbo Li.

At Tropical Smoothie, a new IT project will deploy new cloud-hosted point of sale terminals, handheld devices and kitchen display systems over the next few weeks across its 700-location footprint.

Even among the experts in the payments industry, people still use cash. Banks can't ignore this, according to Paul Amisano, senior vice president for enterprise digital and payments strategy at BB&T.

It all comes down to convenience. New payment apps, like Venmo, and widely adopted mobile wallets, such as Apple Pay and Alipay, have made the consumer payment experience incredibly convenient, writes Ralph Dangelmaier, CEO of BlueSnap.

After an attempt to test the service with Postmates years ago, the coffee company is now teaming up with UberEats to test delivery in more than 100 locations in the Miami area.

While the battle for the consumer’s coffee or tea beverage, both hot and cold, is increasingly moving in a mobile direction, the challenge remains as to whether Dunkin’s recent moves are enough for it to succeed against Starbucks.

After a slow start, order-ahead payment services will begin to achieve more widespread adoption in U.K. corporate catering, encouraging the transition to the high street in the near future.