With the IOS 6 update on the Apple devices, one of the features that came with it was this thing call the “passbook”. I remember looking at it, and scratching my head, not really “getting” what it was for. I looked at the applications, and thought “so what”, and then promptly ignored it.
Fast forward to last week. I was in Boston at a conference, and sitting on the show floor, I used the US Air application to check in online. There was an option to send it to the “passbook”, and on a whim I clicked on it.
Bam, my boarding pass (with my trusted traveler ID precheck) was in the passbook. Way cool. No need to print my boarding pass.
That got me thinking, what else might it be useful for? I had long ago installed the Starbucks app. Mainly to help me find a cuppa jo when I was out and about, but I got to wondering if it also worked. So I dug up my old starbucks ID and password (ancient, 2010 or so when I registered a couple of gift cards). Not only was my account still active, but there were three cards with a balance remaining on them, so I was able to move them all to one card, and then, you guessed it, send it to my passbook.
To test this, this AM I hit Starbucks on the way in for a hot chocolate (I am still caffeine free, 7 weeks today), to try it out. Open the passbook, select my starbucks card, scan the code, and boom, $3.73 was deducted from my total, I got my hot chocolate, and I was away without having to open my wallet.
Now I am on a mission to find out what else I can do with this. I know you can do movie tickets (but I rarely go to the movies).
Way cool technology.
