Starbucks discontinues its Duetto Visa card program after 7 years

Starbucks, Chase and Canadian card issuer RBC have "decided not to renew the credit card partnership," says a Starbucks spokesman. The stored value that customers earned on their cards will be sent to them in the form of a Starbucks card. Read "Starbucks discontinues Duetto Visa card || Reaction from Consumerist.com readers

Comments

[www.sbuxdrama.com]

I am saddened and disappointed at this decision by Starbucks, but not surprised. I was a heavy, heavy user of the Duetto card for one reason - and one reason only. If you set up an automatic reload from the Duetto *credit* card to your Starbucks card, you got a 3% Duetto dollars reward each month. If you reloaded your Starbucks card any other way and on credit card purchases, you only got 1% Duetto dollars.

With the recent changes to the Starbucks card, it is *clear* that Starbucks considers that it has already "captured" its loyal customers who passionate, committed brand advocates and will continue to come to the stores no matter what rewards are offered.

New marketing initiatives - the Perfect Oatmeal coupon for one, the undrinkable "skinny" drinks for another - are aimed at expanding the customer base beyond the already converted sheep who flock to the High Church of Espresso morning, noon and night and into the fields of wavering faithful who have not yet drunk deeply from the cup of the gospel of Howard Schulz.

My complete thoughts: http://www.sbuxdrama.com/2010/02/starbucks-and-chase-cancel-duetto.html

[Pat Nerr]

makes me think of that opera video that the execs did during the rollout... classic...

bye bye duetto

[me myself and I]

I love that video, too.

I'm very sad to loose my duetto card. And I think it was still good advertising to have that Starbucks logo on the card. I am asked by cashiers at least once a week about the card. Most love the idea of having a Starbucks credit card.
I don't even think the program costs them anything, the benefits come mostly out of the shared visa fees. So I really don't see the point why they are alienating their most loyal customers once more. I'll use up my balance, stop the auto reload and discard my card. Thank you Starbucks. It'll help me to spend much less.

[AmazonV]

I put all my bills I could on that card. I will have no reason to keep that card after the Starbucks benefits are gone.

I will keep going back though, my local staff is amazing and I would miss them.

uuuugh :(

[Jazz]

Nooooooooooooo! I pay the hubby's tuition and get free drinks.. what could be better than that? Maybe a husband who bought my drinks hehe.

[Justin]

Guys - I have a VW branded card that also stopped (Both by Chase). I would not blame Starbucks alone for this - seems Chase is scaling back on affinity cards.

[Ben Farden]

Starbucks took away the "forever" Gold Card, and now this. What a bunch of just plain jerks.

[john]

This is actually not starbucks fault, Chase is the one who decided to pull the plug.

[me myself and I]

And RBC in Canada went right along? Sounds fishy.

[baristamclane]

The only reason I applied for the Duetto card was because I was in love with the idea of having a credit card that doubled as a SBUX card.

Then again, I've threatened God knows how many partners after they tendered it as a Visa transaction instead of a SBUX card transaction. It's probably better this way...

[Judy]

Somehow I thought something was up when the new, unimproved rewards program started and the Duetto card wasn't eligible!

[CD]

I'm sorry to see this go. They are losing a fantastic customer evangelist device. I agree with @me, myself and I - I have had so many conversations about SBUX at places so remote from SBUX. The visual appeal of the card, the logo, and then the benefits. All priceless advertising moments for SBUX that will be forever lost.

If this was indeed Chase moving on, Howard and Company need to look for another creditor and find a way to restore this card.

[Christinschu]

Seems those who had them liked them, buuuut I only saw about 1-2 per day used in my high volume store, if that. I don't know if they are actually that popular.

[John]

CD,
I doubt the will find another creditor to come on board, not in this economy.

[Dan]

There are still ways to earn Starbucks cash back for your spending. PerkStreet Financial has a debit card with 1% cash back plus a 25% bonus on all the coffee you buy, redeemable at SBUX (http://www.perkstreet.com). I'm a little biased, since I'm the founder and CEO of the company, but I do think it's important that people know that not every bank or credit card company is reducing its rewards.

[Brian]

RBC Royalbank Canada is also discontinuing the Duetto Card, as this page no longer exists:

http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/cards/rewards-cards/starbucks.html . The FAQs is still available: http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/cards/starbucks/faq.html

[waltie]

A customer actually came into my store last week all excited because he just received his new Duetto card in the mail. He was quite upset when we told him they were being discontinued. Not our fault (or corporates), and it seemed like Chase really dropped the ball by continuing to enroll new members even after they knew the card was going away in a month's time.

Still, I'm not sad to see it go. I won't miss having the following conversation almost once a week:

"Would you like me to run this on the Starbucks side or the Visa side?"

"On the Duetto side."

"But as a Starbucks card or as a Visa card?"

"The Duetto."

[E Cig]

i loved my Duetto!

[Argentius]

Good riddance to this old-school, loose-credit-era bit of Chase bank.

They've got a rewards card now that doesn't require a credit application, and doesn't require a bunch of forehead-slapping confusion figuring out how to use it with customers / employees that don't know what it does.

[Beth G.]

well I will be cancelling my Duetto card. No need to have it. The only way I used it was to rack up the Starbucks points. Guess my Starbucks usage will suffer as well. Won't be spending as much out of pocket now

[formerpartner]

I'm sure Chase would have keep the program going if Starbucks saw it for what it was. Again, pretty typical but this one really hurts because I was vested in earning Starbucks dollars. I looked for any way I could to earn this reward, including making major purchases on this card. It will also serve no purpose now for me.

[Angel]

We'll be cancelling ours as well and we've had ours since the "first edition". We already have a bank card where we have our checking and savings. The Duetto was simply a way to pay everything from deposits on my son's tuition and books to airline tickets, etc, and getting free coffee for it.

I'm not a fan of Chase, so honestly, there's no reason to keep it.

That said, we'll be at Starbucks less too.

[Amanda]

This is the second time i've had a credit card's rewards program cancelled on me. I'm with RBC and in lieu of the Starbucks card, they are offering me an RCB rewards Visa. It takes THOUSANDS of points to get anything worthwhile - and 1 point for every $2 spent. WTF.
My plan: let the rewards balance come to me in the mail, take the bonus RBC rewards they're offering, cash that in for $25 at starbucks then put the new card away and never use it.
Shopper Drug mart did the same thing to me a few years back. The bank replaced that with a dividends card, which is what I'll be going back to from now on. RBC loses my business as of this month.

[Coffee Lover]

RBC will feel this move. I hope Starbucks gets a new creditor.

[JRDM - I drink more coffee then Gibbs!]

Sad Times, I only reason I got an RBC Visa card, is because of Starbucks. It is nice to get something for nothing. I think RBC knows that lots of people are going to Walk away from their VISA cards, as they have section about how to decline their card transfer to RBC Rewards Gold Card. Also note if you are going to keep your VISA with RBC, they are raising their rates as of June 1st. Hopefully Starbucks will find a new credit card partner soon.

[Vancouver, Canada]

I had switched almost all of my purchases to my RBC Duetto Visa. It is my favourite credit card.

I wonder what the real reason is that Starbucks isn't partnering up with RBC and Chase banks any longer? Is it Starbucks or is it Visa wanting to end the partnership?

I already have/had the RBC Rewards Gold card, so I don't think they'll send me another, which means I won't even benefit from the $25 worth of points!
(The benefit to the RBC Rewards Gold card that other cards don't offer is car rental protection. It has purchase protection as well, but I think that might have been with the Duetto Visa as well?)

[Sparky]

Very annoying that neither Starbucks nor Chase made any kind of general announcement. If you miss the scattered in the business journals (or on Starbucks Gossip), you'll have a rude awakening after March 10, when you receive a new, Starbucks-free Chase card in the mail.

Fortunately, now that I've got the word, I'm applying for a Wells Fargo credit card, paying off my Duetto card, and canceling the latter on March 9.

[useless]

I couldn't believe it! btw, I did receive the 6 "Good for one handcrafted or brewed beverage of your choice" for the next 6 month from starbucks. I'll have to planned ahead to enjoy caffeine. Not sure if will use the freedom card... when it's didn't be me the choice of my coffee!

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[CM]

Not gonna lie, I just found out about this yesterday and I am so unimpressed!
I loved my Starbucks Visa card, and have no desire to continue using it now that it will be a plain old Visa card.
Time to find a New card... with some sort of reward program.

[Frustrated]

I didn't us my Duetto card much. That's now evedent. I recieved a notice in the mail with Starbuck cupons and a letter stating..You already know the Duetto visa card will be no longer.
I thought "what"? How am I suppose to already know if I've never recieved any other notification.This was my first. Where they ashamed to tell me?
It was the RBC bank that had to fill me in..they then quickly pushed thier visa pamphlets on me along with thier visa speach to apply for thier own visa card.
What a crappy way for people to do business.
I liked my Duetto card, it was my first ever visa. Now to heck with it all. I'm going back to cash. Much easier to keep track, above all less tempting to spend!!
Signed Frustrated

[Ticked off]

I went throught he same thing. RBC didn't tell me much about what or why the Duetto card was going, but they sure wanted to tell me what they had to offer instead. The bank really did a sales pitch for thier visa's.
It's not the first time latley either.
I've had trouble with the RBC new microchip debit card. Had to be changed twice in one month. The last time I was shocked as I walked in. As thier was a double line up out the door with people who had to change thier chipped debit cards.
By the time I go to the counter the teller sais she was tired. I said excuse me? She said do you know how many pamphlets I've given out,and how many times I've talked about this visa.
Then she went into her sails pitch again with me. "Would I like to get a visa,thier more secure than a debit card."
I was flabbergasted to say the least!! What was going on, was I called in to the bank not to renew my debit card but because the bank is despeate to "push" thier credit cards on us all?

Ticked off

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