American donuts and coffee chain Dunkin' Donuts is expanding its mobile ordering service to some of its stores located in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Starting Tuesday, members of the brand's reward program can enjoy ordering and pay for items via mobile app. 

Dunkin' Donuts is testing out its mobile ordering app to nine Boston Dunkin' restaurants and 19 other locations across Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The service will be available for the members of the chain's reward program, DD Perks. The mobile app, called "Dunkin' VIP", is currently available only for iOS devices.

The company stated that such mobile ordering service has been requested by customers. Boston quoted Dunkin' Donuts's emailed statement, "We're excited to offer On-the-Go Ordering exclusively to DD Perks members at 28 select Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout the Boston area. Our guests have been requesting mobile ordering for some time, and we are excited to expand this program at select restaurants in our hometown."

Boston Herald explained how the mobile ordering process works. Using iOS devices, DD Perks members can order menu items sold nationally, displayed in the app as images. After that, customers can check in at the restaurant to pick up their orders whenever they're ready, and set up an order confirmation before picking up. Customers can also opt to pick up orders at drive-thru windows. The payment will be charged to the customer's virtual Dunkin' Donuts card via the app.

The Canton-based chain has already rolled out a pilot program last November. The program has been available in 124 locations in Portland, Maine, not long after Starbucks launched its own mobile ordering system, as reported by Eater. As for now, Starbucks is also working to further develop and improve its mobile ordering system as the coffee chain partners with delivery app Postmates to deliver beverages directly to customers.

Dunkin' Donuts's vice president of global consumer engagement Scott Hudler expressed the company's delight with the expand and improvement. "Usage continues to rise. We want to extend it to Boston - our hometown - and get greater and more robust consumer data." Hudler also acknowledged that the company is going to learn a lot and make adjustments during the process, before rolling the program nationally.

Dunkin' Donuts aims to expand its area of service and make use of mobile technology to make it easier for customers to get their products. After conducting a pilot program last year, now the mobile ordering service is expanded to Rhode Island and Massachusetts.