One of the most coveted types of gift cards to receive is a Starbucks gift card. Just about everyone loves the lavish and delectable beverages served up by the coffee giant, but not necessarily the steep prices that come with them. A gift card can take the edge off the high coffee prices. But one question many gift recipients might ask is, “do Starbucks gift cards expire?”
Read on to find out.
Do Starbucks Gift Cards Expire?
Starbucks gift cards do not come with an expiration date, nor does the card’s value expire. That means you can keep your card as long as you want without having to worry that it won’t work after a certain amount of time elapses. Starbucks also doesn’t charge any service, activation, or inactivity fees on its gift cards.
Do Starbucks E-Gift Cards Expire?
Both physical gift cards and electronic gifts do not expire. You should also register the card to your Starbucks Rewards account shortly after getting the card by visiting Starbucks.com/rewards.
Starbucks Gift Card vs. Starbucks Card
What’s the difference between a Starbucks card and a gift card? After all, they’re both pre-loaded with a specific dollar value that can be applied to any menu item. So, how do they differ, if at all?
The truth is, there’s really no significant difference between the two. A Starbucks gift card is simply a card given as a present. The cards come pre-loaded with a certain amount of money, and when you’ve depleted the funds, you can reload the card going forward as often as you like.
A Starbucks Rewards card is basically a registered gift card. That means you can register the card by creating an account and earn rewards every time you use the card to make a Starbucks purchase.
That said, you can do pretty much the same thing with a gift card. As long as you continue to use the same card, you can reload it once you’ve spent the balance. You can even use the gift card to get points, provided you use just that one card.
Where Can You Buy Starbucks Gift Cards?
Starbucks gift cards are readily available both online and at brick-and-mortar stores:
Online
While you can purchase e-gift cards on the Starbucks website, physical gift cards are no longer available for purchase using this method. However, you can buy Starbucks gift cards at other online retailers, including Amazon.
Retail Stores
Starbucks locations may be your first choice for buying gift cards, but you can also get physical gift cards at various retailers across Canada, including Walmart, Best Buy, Canadian Tire, and even dollar stores like Dollarama and Dollar Tree. Starbucks locations also sell e-gift cards in addition to physical cards.
Grocery Stores
Just about every major grocery store in Canada sells Starbucks gift cards, including Loblaws, Sobeys, Safeway, and Metro.
Pharmacies
You can find Starbucks gift cards at drug stores like Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, and Pharmasave.
How To Redeem Starbucks Gift Cards
A Starbucks gift card works like any other type of gift card. Simply visit your nearest Starbucks, order your food or beverage, and pay using your gift card.
As long as you have enough funds loaded onto the card to cover your order, all you need to do is present your gift card as a form of payment. The value of your order will be deducted from the card’s balance.
If you’re using a Starbucks e-gift card, you can print out the card and present it to a Starbucks employee. Or, you can add the value of the card to your Starbucks account. This will allow you to pay in-person or order your food or drink in advance via the app to have it ready for pickup. You can also add your physical gift card to your Starbucks account.
How To Check Your Starbucks Gift Card Balance?
You should always know how much you have left on your Starbucks gift card before placing an order. That way, you won’t be left short at the counter, especially if you have no other form of payment on you.
There are a couple of ways to check your Starbucks gift card balance:
Starbucks Website
- Visit Starbucks.ca/giftcard
- Click the “Check balance” button
- Enter your card number and security code
Starbucks App
- Go to your Starbucks app on your mobile device
- Sign in and choose your card
Your card balance will be displayed once you’ve gone through all the required steps for both options.
Why Should You Add Your Starbucks Gift Card To The Starbucks App?
Adding your Starbucks gift card number to your app means you’ll be able to earn points with every purchase you make at the coffee house.
In general, you get 1 star per dollar when you use your debit/credit card and 2 points when you load funds onto your Starbucks account. Similarly, if you register your gift card to your Starbucks account, you’ll receive 2 stars per dollar spent on those funds.
If you have multiple Starbucks gift cards, you can consolidate those amounts by registering them all to your Starbucks account and earning 2 stars per dollar spent.
Scanning and paying in one step can also save you time while earning rewards using the app. The more points you earn, the more you can get:
- 25 points: Customize your beverage with an extra shot of espresso, non-dairy milk, or a splash of flavoured syrup.
- 100 points: Free hot or iced coffee or tea, bakery treat, packaged snack, and more.
- 200 points: Specialty beverage (ie. lattes, cold brew, etc) or hot breakfast items.
- 300 points: Sandwich, protein box, or bag of coffee for at-home brewing.
- 400 points: Starbucks merchandise, including tumblers and mugs up to $20.
How To Add Your Gift Card To The App
As mentioned, you can add your Starbucks gift card to the app on your mobile device for quick payment. Follow these steps:
- Download the Starbucks app to your mobile phone
- Sign up for an account
- Use your credentials to sign in to your account
- Scroll to the bottom to find and click “Add Card”
- Enter the gift card number and code
- Click “Add Card” to add the gift card to the app
Final Thoughts
If you’ve just stumbled upon a long-lost Starbucks gift card and aren’t quite sure how long you’ve had it, you may be wondering, “do Starbucks gift cards expire?” Luckily, the answer is no. As long as there is still a balance remaining, you can take it to your nearest Starbucks and treat yourself to something sweet.
