In order to facilitate consumers’ payment for their beverages, Starbucks started to accept payment through app in mobile phone, and got a good grade in last year. It’s a special marketing strategy (a strength in SWOT) to attract more consumers and expand its market to include smartphone owners. But if Apple want to imitate, it may not be that successful.
Firstly, it’s not safe, after entering a credit card in Apple Pay, it will be permanently accessible on that smartphone. What if the phone is lost, or the hacker enters your phone’s system? That’s why only a few banks signed on to cooperate with Apple. This is one weakness.
Secondly, though Apple want to differentiate from competitors and become the first one using online payment system, costs of implement still should be considered. They needs a large number of proficient staff so training program is necessary. In addition, it offers a loyalty program to encourage using its app, like free drinks and other extras, which is an extra cost. Furthermore, in order to sign up with more banks and attract more users, they should improve the security of system or create an own app for payment (an opportunity), the cost of technological research is high.
From my point, refining the system is the most urgent thing instead of popularization. It’s difficult to change payment’ habits of American without a perfect system and strategy in short-term, so Apple can run other profitable schemes simultaneously to cover the high cost of this long-term plan, publishing a better system in the future.
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