Starbucks updates app with iOS 7 theme, virtual tip jar and 'shake-to-pay'

Starbucks, one of the first companies to include support for rechargeable payment cards in Passbook, updated its app on Thursday, adding a new "flat" iOS 7 aesthetic, "shake-to-pay" and digital tipping.

Immediately apparent in Starbucks version 3.0 is the new design theme, which riffs on Apple's "flat" iOS 7 look with an uncluttered interface, copious use of the Helvetica Neue font and a marked absence of skeuomorphic graphics.

A revamped dashboard has also been added where customers can quickly see rewards levels, available rewards, recent transactions and more. The app grants access to a user's entire account history, including purchases, stars earned (Starbucks' rewards point system) and rewards redeemed.

Operationally, Starbucks packs in a few new features, including a digital tipping service for participating U.S. stores. Because the payment system is handled digitally, customers can tip the Starbucks barista up to two hours after buying a drink. Instead of tipping before tasting their cappuccino, users now have more than enough time to decide if the beverage merits a tip. The system will push out a tip notification after each eligible transaction.

Finally, a new "shake-to-pay" mechanism lets users shake their iPhone to bring up the account barcode needed for scanning at the register. The app must be running for the feature to work.

Starbucks is a free 23.7MB download from the App Store.