Hi All, I know there are those who disparage SB...I am not one of them. Did you know that (in the US, Canada, and the UK), you can earn status at SB? I learned of it last fall, but did not really benefit until it expanded to UK purchases...which apply to my US account. My Starbucks Rewards Register a SB gift card to make purchases - with a smart phone, you can use the SB app to make purchases from said gift card(s). Welcome Level - free birthday beverage. Green Level (5 Stars) - free birthday beverage; free select syrups and milk; free coffee refills; free 12oz beverage with 1lb whole bean purchase; other trial offers. Gold Level (30 Stars) - green level plus: free drink after every 15 stars; personalized gold card; personalized offers and coupons robin
Unbelievable! We're in Ireland need 50 STARS to reach GOLD!!! SOURCE: http://starbucks.ie/card/rewards
As in the quoted post above, UK members who owned a card before January this year were grandfathered into Gold (which didn't mean much as all card owners last year were entitled to the perks, irrespective of status). Don't like how it only takes 5 stars to get free syrups/milk in the US and 50 stars in UK either.
I mis-stated...it is the same in the UK as Ireland...I just use my US card here and it works. UK: http://starbucks.co.uk/card/rewards
Great write up on SB by gleff @ http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewf...-double-points-and-elite-status-at-starbucks/
So if you swipe it in the UK, you earn stars towards your US card's status? Do the UK stores recognise the US card status while at it? Sounds like a hack in progress.
One other thing I thought of... I use my US-issued DL AMEX to top up my SB card in USD...and then get the bank rate to make purchases at SB here in the UK...definitely a way to save on foreign transaction fees and still get miles.
This would be worth it if each Starbucks had a separate Gold level line with stanchions and a Gold carpet, a restricted entry Gold lounge and a special Gold phone number. Of course, they'd also need to have an alliance with Costa, Dome and C House and the ability to upgrade drinks across the alliance.
Or it could be the other way around since stores probably apply benefits according to their country's status criteria. So you could use a UK card (which instantly starts at Green) to get Green benefits at US Starbucks. Perfect for the very infrequent Starbucks visitor! I wish they'd have reserved seating for Gold card holders. That alone would make Gold status worth it - less fighting for seats with the plebs.
Oddly enough I'm Star(bucks) Gold but never received a 'personalized gold card' They need a higher tier than Gold for msgleff
I have received from Milepoint for being Gold in this wonderful forum an e-gift Starbucks card in my e-mail a few days ago valued at 20 US Dollars and wanted the amount to be transferred into my existing card in Ireland, the e-mail offers this option, but after connecting to transfer the 20 US Dollar value it keeps telling, that it is not possible to do so, because the two cards, the MP Starbucks Gold E-GIFT and Our Starbucks Card // registered // in Ireland are operating in two different markets! Now I will use the other possibility of printing the E-GIFT card out and take it with me on my next Starbucks visit and we will see what will happen, I hope they accept the 20 US Dollar value on it and convert it into Euros so that it can be used here in Ireland. We will see what happens!
Great news! They have converted the 20 US Dollar value on the E-Gilft card to Euros and we can used them now here in Ireland too! Thanks again to MP!
