Starbucks revision to Gold Card Program effective April 2016

On April 2016 Starbucks will make another change to their Gold Card program. I've been a Gold Card member since 2010 and experienced all the changes since. For the most part I don't really care what they do as I'm there to buy coffee or a snack. It was nice to get 'some' discount by way of a free item every so often, but in reality you can save money by simply shopping elsewhere. 7-Eleven and McDonald's have excellent coffee for a lower price and often that's all I want...a plain cup of hot coffee black.

This new change was something I anticipated they would eventually do and in some ways is 'better' as it makes the program more exclusive. You now must spend at least $150 per year to maintain Gold status. Now it all depends on what they will offer to members who spend that much as they raised the cost of earning a free item to $62.50 when you could easily earn one under the old system of 12 stars by spending about $30 ($2.50 X 12). For me? It's wait and see and I've moved on to other sources for my morning Joe. I'll indulge occasionally on a beverage from Starbucks, but gone are the days of ordering 3-4 times a week every morning and again in the afternoon. I was quite the coffee nut back then.

My prediction? They will revise down the numbers for a reward to 100 stars or $50 and maybe membership to 250 stars for renewal. Honestly. Starbucks just make a new Platinum tier program and set the bar at $2,500 dollars a year to qualify with priority seating and other serious goodies.

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