Why isn't Gold card the best offer features available?  For example, gold card members don't get free coffee refill or free flavor shots and free soy milk?  I don't want to carry two cards with me and it's such a bad idea that we paid $25 dollar for the gold card, but not getting the VIP treatment.

Are there plan to fix this? I hope so...  In addition how are you suprising and delighting the VIP customers?  Most of us don't care much for the Free Birthday drink.  We want something special from time to time... thanks

Hi Jeff! I'm definitely enjoying my two Starbucks cards.  (Gold Card & Pike Place registered card).  I know it's been a hotly debated topic at MSI, but I am hoping in the future Starbucks comes up with a card that is more durable. My cards have not held up well under the level of abuse I put them through.

And of course, say hello to sbx_sto for me! :-)

There seems to be a consensus that the gold should provide all benefits and not have to be combined with the regular card. Also, shouldn't the gold card be Gold?

Rather than repeat what has been said already I will just add why cant those of us that drink iced or hot tea get free refills like coffee drinkers get. Why is it taking so so long for this to be included as a reward? Also, I agree with the comments already posted.

Jeff industry based awards are cool and all - but folks are right on here - to continue to provide benefit to us the users you need to straighten out this issue with Gold vs. Regular card benefits. The concept that the pay card lacks some benefits of the free card is not just confusing it is dumb. Is the goal to get people to carry two cards? Someone in the card marketing group on your end dropped the ball here...BTW what company won the award for highest breakage rate at the pre-pay conference?

i love my gold card....there should be a way to track how much a person has spent and reward them with x amount of free refills for that day or x amount of dollars on the card renewal at the end of the year...

I maybe posting my comment in the wrong area-so sorry if so; ---my Starbucks Card "idea" I'd love to see take off is a card specific for each state, country, etc.  I love going to Starbucks in Hawaii & getting the latest island gift card.  It's such a fun affordable souvenir keepsake or gift.  I know personally I always end up bringing back several Hawaii gift cards for family, co-workers or friends (it's easier bringing home 8+ cards rather than 8 coffee mugs).  I also think Starbucks could come up w/ some "card collector" portfolio for the serious collector.  Just my thought.  Thanks for all your continued hard work.

PLEASE require licensed stores to honor both the registered card and the Gold Card! Your license agreement could include a clause to cover this. I live in a rural area with only licensed stores nearby. I have to drive 2 hours to get to a corporate store to use my Gold Card. Some licensed stores will accept my registered card but only as a gift card, I get no milk/syrup discount. There are a lot of others who have suggested this idea, your sales would increase if licensed stores would honor the cards! PLEASE

Jeff...do you ever think that partners, such as myself, will get a chance to submit our ideas for creating a Starbucks card design? I see several different cards everyday in my drive thru, and can't help but wish I could design one for people to carry around.

I agree that there has to be finally an agreement with licensed stores to take the rewards of the gold or registered cards. Also, it would be nice to see at the bottom of the gold card receipt or somewhere online how much culminative savings you have made with the card. I just can't believe that is hard to program because I know some supermarkets have done it with regard to coupon savings.

Gold should mean benefts. Come on!!!!!!  Every ten drinks give us a free one ... tie something to the fact that we spent $25 to get it, that we set it up for automatic recharge, that we are at Starbucks every day ... Thx!

Jeff,

While you evaluate various ways to reward your cardholders try to find a way for licensed stores to honor the benefits of the registered card and the Gold Card. I know it would improve my overall Starbucks experience! This is the largest complaint about the cards on this site. If your customers want it, it would be in your best interest (financially) to give it to them. I know my spending would increase if I could use my Gold Card!

Over and over again, your customers who are loyal enough to spend $25 on the Gold Card have been asking to have all the perks of a standard registered card and yet SB just cannot seem to fix this issue. I even wrote to SB directly and the response I got was that it was being "looked at". How long does it take to look at a problem and fix it? There are other cafes in my town and they don't brew Pikes Place 90% of the time. You guys are screwing up your business and it is like you don't even see it. Act.  ACT!!! Stop talking and wow me!

Maybe you need to start paying your employees by productivity instead of hourly. They are dragging out fixing this problem so it takes more hours. Pay them for every problem they fix! Not every hour they are in their office.

Bring Gold to Canada! Our money's just as good as yours!

Can Starbucks do something about the quality of the custom cards?  Unlike the regular ones bought in the store my custom one seems to be made of laminated paper and after a year is already peeling apart.  I have given a few as gifts but am now embarassed by the quality of the card itself.  I guess I would not mind but I paid extra for the cards and assumed they would be the same quality as the store ones.  

I've just posted 3 questions in the Starbucks cards category:

* can we have auto top up in UK?

* can us tea drinkers have some 'perks' as they are all geared to coffee drinkers

* can collectors of Starbucks cards from around the world purchase them for a minimal charge for the card and P&P to prevent collectors paying to eBay?

Real quick, we are not reloading our card until you have something other than decaf Pike Place Roast. We hate it and since it's your only choice (am not going for the more expensive decaf americano), we've decided to no longer visit until you change.  Thank you

If you want my idea about how to improve Starbucks cards, read "The Greatest Marketing Tool Ever" idea. Its pretty cool!