Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) is testing out a store in Seattle that won’t accept cash.
Customers that stop in for a drink at the Starbucks store at Second Avenue and University won’t be able to use cash to complete their transactions. This is part of a test that the company doing to see how its customers handle not being able to use cash at its stores.
Instead of cash, customers that the Starbucks store will have to complete their transactions with a credit card, debit card or by ordering on mobile. There’s no word on if the store accepts checks or EBT cards.
The one thing that customers at the store can use cash for is tipping the employees. The tests of going cashless is only going to last for a limited time, but the company hasn’t said when it will end. It’s likely that going cashless will allow it to speed up transactions, which would increase the amount of business it can do, reports The Seattle Times.
Reactions to the cashless store appear to be mixed for now. Some customers are fine with the change and say they don’t often use cash anyway. However, there are other customers that aren’t happy with not being able to use cash to buy their coffee.
While Starbucks is moving to embrace technology for its transactions, it says it doesn’t plan to replace its workers. Howard Schultz, the former CEO of the company, says that he doesn’t see robots replacing the coffee chain’s employees, reports Retail Dive.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
