Talk about smart! Take a leap from the smartphone to the smart cup of coffee via ground-breaking Australian technology which was last week unveiled to 22,000 UK coffee fanatics in London.
The reusable coffee cup allows consumers to order and pay for their coffee, earn loyalty points and send coffee to friends just by scanning the lid. 
The frank green SmartCup is the first of its kind and was one of the most eagerly anticipated launches at the London Coffee Festival in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.
The revolutionary technology syncs frank green’s CafePay app with the SmartCup which has an embedded chip enabling the user to go cash free by tapping the lid of the cup to a sensor which processes payments securely at participating cafés.
Australian entrepreneur Benjamin Young (left), the founder of frank green, has long believed that integrating technology with reusable cups was the logical next step. He said: “What is amazing about this is that it blends the daily routine; you’ve got coffee, you’ve got money, you’ve got loyalty – you put that all together and you have an innovative way for cafes to build lasting relationships with their customers.
“A cup of coffee is the most traded micropayment in the world – with around one billion sold per day. Our market research told us there’s significant consumer demand for seamless cashless payments, loyalty discounts and special offers. We believe that the SmartCup and CafePay can completely revolutionise the way we consume coffee right around the world.
“What we’re creating is the ability to go cash-free – you can easily load credit onto your account. It’s for friends to send one another a coffee ‘just because’, it’s for people to build loyalty with their local café and be rewarded for going back. It also enables cafes to notify customers of special offers and discounts via the CafePay app, all while being sustainable and good to the planet.”
As well as pushing technological change in the coffee market, frank green’s major aim is to address the environmental issue caused by disposable cups, by promoting reusable cups to UK coffee culture.
With Britain’s coffee shop market estimated to be worth £7.2bn a year and over 19,000 outlets selling coffee in single use cups, the brand is hoping UK consumers follow Australia’s lead where 30% of people bring their own cup to the coffee shop.
Young added: “There’s definitely a major behavioural change required here in the UK and as while we’ve all become more environmentally aware in recent years, we seem to think nothing of contributing to the millions of throwaway cups that end up in landfill every day.
“Our message is clear – drink smarter and reduce unnecessary waste by taking your own cup when you go for a coffee.”
Launching this month worldwide, the frank green SmartCup can be purchased from selected independent retailers and cafes nationally, or online at frankgreen.com.au
frank green has committed to donating AUS $1 from every online product purchased to Earthwatch, an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to protecting the environment.
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Trained as a journalist from the age of 18 and enjoying a long career in regional newspaper reporting and editing, Sally Hooton joined DMI (Direct Marketing International) magazine as editor in 2001. DMI then morphed into The GMA, taking her with it!
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