Starbucks junkies: Pay for that latte with your iPhone!

With the ridiculous number of programs in the App Store, it can be tough to stay on top of all things apps. But once in a while, an application rises above the fray, offering something that’s genuinely worth being excited about.

For me, it is this: Starbucks now allows iPhone and BlackBerry users to pay with their phones! Why is this so exciting? If you’re asking the question, you’ve clearly never forgotten your Starbucks card or wallet, or had to fumble at the register with jittery fingers.

Yes I am a Starbucks fanatic, and when I need my grande latte, I really, really need it. So if you spend as much time in front of a barista as I do, then you’ll appreciate this feature. This was once limited to users in certain test regions in California and New York, but now — says the company —it works at almost all locations.

Here’s how it works: In the settings, users need to associate their Starbucks card account. Then they can pull up an onscreen barcode for the baristas to scan. The app also lets you reload your account with more funds, track rewards and find locations near you.

It’s not quite the RFID or NFC technology that allows for just swiping phones to pay for goods, but it’s better than nothing. I just hope it works (otherwise it risks irritating a userbase of caffeine-addled people. That wouldn’t be good, would it?). Barcode scanning at retail points-of-purchase can be iffy, and I’m already hearing some rumblings that aspects like reloading funds are still a bit buggy. But if you’re willing to give it a try, let us know how it goes. We’ll do the same.

To check out the free Starbucks iPhone app, hit up the App Store here.