Forget Apple Pay — This Cup Pays for Your Coffee for You
In 10 years, all of us will be using Google Wallet, Apple Pay or the next big thing in payment, and we’ll all be wondering why people ever bought tangible wallets at all. Heck, soon maybe we’ll be able to pay for everything using only our fingerprints. But until then, your trip to the café can still be wallet-less with Frank Green’s CaféPay’s SmartCup.
The SmartCup is your typical coffee tumbler with a tiny bit of tech in the top. To use it, you’ll go about your morning routine like normal. You’ll order your coffee and then simply scan your SmartCup lid to pay. There’s a chip right in the top that links to your bank account and also remembers your usual order. You can even pay for a cup of joe as a gift to your friend.
Beyond payment, you can search out new coffee shops, pre-order your joe and skip the line and receive discounts at loads of cafés since you’ll be bringing your own cup.
Cafés can even get in on the action by keeping in touch with their network of SmartCup sippers to tell them about specials and to get stats on what drinks and pastries people are ordering the most. It’s like a coffee debit card and rewards card in one.
The cup comes in 8-oz and 12-oz sizes and is made of BPA-free and non-toxic materials. And it’s spill resistant. You can pre-order your own on Kickstarter right now starting at $20, but hurry. They need lots more funding by May 8 in order to make this futuristic pay cup a reality.
Would you pay for your coffee with a cup? Let us know how you feel about the SmartCup in the comments!
