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Starbucks Corp. is testing an Apple Inc. iPhone application that enables loyalty cardholders to pay for their purchases at retail locations. Customers can manage their Starbucks Card account and add funds using a credit or debit card, the coffee company says in a statement. For a limited time, customers who reload their loyalty card for the first time with a least $25 with a Visa-branded card will earn a $5 bonus. The application displays a barcode that users scan at the point of sale to complete a purchase by deducting funds from the loyalty card account. Starbucks did not offer additional details when contacted by CardLine sister publication ATM&Debit News. Consumers also can use the application on Apple's iPod Touch. The Seattle-based company is piloting the application in 16 stores in Seattle and Northern California, including one near Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, Calif. Starbucks also launched a separate MyStarbucks application, which consumers can use to locate the nearest store and see it displayed on a map. Starbucks loyalty cardholders receive free syrup and milk options, free coffee refills on the same visit, and two consecutive hours of free AT&T Wi-Fi service per day in stores.
