LONDON, UK – For a nation of supposed tea drinkers, British people consume more than 70 million cups of coffee each day. This is an upward trend that shows no signs of slowing.
Consumer palates are becoming increasingly refined in an ultra-competitive market where it’s not about the concoction, but all about the origin and background of the ingredients.
As such, coffee is often marketed as a lifestyle product, but a new London brand of baristas is going one step further by actually trying to change lives.
Change Please is using Londoners’ love of coffee to solve the problem of homelessness, by training former rough sleepers as baristas, who sell great, ethically-sourced coffee to commuters from their converted Piaggio trucks.
Being a small social enterprise operating from these three-wheel vehicles, the baristas were only able to accept cash payments until now.
Mastercard has equipped each of them with iPads that accept mobile payments through the Qkr app. Using their Masterpass wallet in the app, thirsty office workers can order ahead from their desks and their coffee is not only paid for when they arrive at the cart, it’s also ready and waiting for them to take away.
Change Please enables the baristas to be paid the London Living Wage, and also helps them develop the skills they need to enter the world of work after six months.
Not only does technology offer a smooth experience, it can also make a real difference.
