I just recently got my own Starbucks Gold Card in the mail. I gotta admit, I opened it with a strange mix of excitement and guilt. After all, I had done the math and realized exactly what this card had cost me (more on that later). But I was also stoked to know I’d be drinking a FREE Venti Mocha on my next trip through the Starbucks drive-thru. Here’s a handy little breakdown of the Starbucks Gold Card so you can determine if it’s something you’ll benefit from or not.

Starbucks Gold Card….What Is It?

The Starbucks gold card is a rewards card that gets you some nifty free drinks and treats.

See Also: 10 Starbucks Prices That Actually Make Their Coffee Affordable

How Do I Earn The Gold Card?

When you sign-up with the Starbucks Rewards Program you start at the Green Level.

Earn at least 300 Stars in a 12 month period and you’ll get promoted to the Gold Level.

Not only will your Starbucks app deem you a Gold member, but they’ll actually mail you a Gold Card that you can show off to your friends.

The best part is you earn 2 stars for every $1 spent with your Gold card. Then you can actually redeem those stars for free coffee or food.

What Exactly Does the Gold Card Give Me?

Well, first of all, you get everything that someone at the Green Level gets:

– Free Birthday Drink – You’ll find your birthday reward on the Starbucks app starting the day before your birthday. You’ll have until the day after your birthday to redeem it. Any size, any drink.

– Free In-Store Refills – Score a free refill on your way out. You can score a free refill on any sized iced coffee, iced tea (or hot tea), or brewed coffee. So if you originally bought a Grande, you’ll get a Grande sized free refill.

– Member Only Offers and Deals – These exclusive deals include discounts on specific drinks, products, and food items.

Plus, you get these Gold Level ONLY perks….

– Monthly Double-Star Days – On certain days you’ll earn 4 stars for every dollar spent. Be sure to sign-up for emails to be notified of double-star days.

– Reward Every 125 Stars – This is where the magic happens. If you’re going to be stopping at Starbucks anyways on the way to work why not get something out of it?

– Personalized Gold Card – Yes, they’ll actually mail you your own Gold Card a couple weeks after you earn it.

Do the Reward Points Expire?

Surprisingly, YES your reward stars do indeed expire.

I didn’t do the math cuz I’m a dullard, but it looks like they expire 6 months after you earn them.

Is It a Lofty Goal or Wasted Money?

If you drink at Starbucks often, like at least 4 times per month, it’s definitely worth signing up for their rewards program and shooting for Gold.

The reason is because at the introductory Green level you DO NOT earn any free drinks or treats. Boo!

So the Gold level actually pays you back with free coffee.

But let’s be honest here…in order to get a Gold Card you gotta buy $150 worth of Starbucks drinks and food in a 12-month period.

That’s a lot of $5 milkshakes that they trick us into buying by calling them Frappuccinos.

Is the Card Actually Made of Gold?

No, it’s just ol’ plastic…but I sure wish it was 14 karat.

How cool would that be though?

Can Starbuck’s Employees Earn Stars?

Yes.

They actually earn 3 stars for every dollar spent instead of 2 that us regular caffeine addicts earn.

If you work for Starbucks make sure you register your “Partner” rewards card and start earning.

Is There a Free Starbucks for Life Card?

Unbelievably, YES.

Starbucks actually just gave one away last month.

Keep an eye out for another chance to win free coffee for life soon.

Ask the Reader: Do you have a Starbucks Gold Card? If so, how many free drinks do you earn per year?

By Kyle James

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