Powermat4Starbucks customers now have a new way to power smartphones while sipping lattes. The company rolled out wireless charging mats in 200 of its San Francisco area cafes, ahead of a national deployment of the technology.

starbuckschargingThe charging stations are powered by Powermat’s wireless charging capability, allowing customers to charge phones without an outlet. Users can borrow a special charging dongle that connects to their phone on a per-use basis, or purchase one for $9.99 from a participating store.

“This first market installation is a first step towards a national deployment of this amenity in our stores,” said Adam Brotman, chief digital officer at Starbucks. “We were pleased with the customer response to the pilot tests we conducted over the past two years and we now expect an even greater level of customer satisfaction as we set forth to offer wireless charging capability on a national scale.”

Users with wireless charging capabilities in their phones, or who have purchased one of the Powermat cases won’t need to buy one of the dongles.

This is another move by Starbucks to leverage technology and develop its business beyond coffee sales. CEO Howard Schultz revealed on a conference call that payments at Starbucks made up 90 percent of all mobile payment revenue last year.

“I can ensure you, that Starbucks will have a major role to play, both inside and outside of our stores, as the nascent mobile payment industry evolves,” Schultz said.

Stay tuned to GeekWire later this week for some hands-on impressions of the new charging tech.

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