Coffeehouse chain Starbucks Korea said Monday that it will provide a new in-car pickup service for its drive thru users from Tuesday, which helps drivers to skip the process of making a payment in the lane. 

Called “My DT Pass,” the new service will enable drivers whose plate numbers are registered on the Starbucks app or the official website to order and will be automatically charged through a prepaid card or a credit card registered on the Starbucks app. 

Drivers won’t have to wait to make a payment at the order or pickup area, but can simply pick up their drinks and leave, the company said. 

Such service is the first attempt in the industry, as well as among the global stores of Starbucks, the company said.

The service will be available at 11 Drive Thru stores in Seoul. It will expand to 140 drive thru stores across the country by August, the company said.
Starbucks Korea said that a driver can also make an order via its on-the-go ordering service Siren Order on the Starbucks app. In that case, the driver can skip the process from making an order to payment. 

According to Starbucks Korea, up to 13 to 15 seconds can be saved for drivers by skipping the process of making an order to payment. 

The company said this will help busy commuters to save time in the morning, as well as distract drivers less while driving, for example, as they look for a credit card while driving. 

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)