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The Platinum Card® from American Express is my #1 recommended card
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The Chase Starbucks Rewards Visa Card annual fee of $49 is waived for US military servicemembers and their spouses. Currently the Starbucks credit card is offering a large welcome bonus worth at least 30 free drinks when you spend $500 on the card.
- Learn how to apply for the Chase Starbucks Rewards Visa card
- Earn 4,500 Bonus Stars after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening + $0 intro annual fee
- Earn 300 Bonus Stars the first time you use your Starbucks® Rewards Visa® Card to add money to your Starbucks Card
- Stars won't expire, an exclusive Starbucks benefit for Cardmembers
- You will receive 8 complimentary food or beverage items (“Barista Picks”)
- Earn up to 3 Stars per $1 spent at Starbucks Stores: 1 Star per $1 when you digitally load your Starbucks Card with your Starbucks® Rewards Visa® Card (excludes money added at the register), plus 2 Stars per $1 spent when that Starbucks Card is used to pay at Starbucks stores
- Earn 1 Star per $2 spent at grocery stores, on local transit and commuting, and on internet, cable, and phone services
- Earn 1 Star per $4 spent everywhere else
- Normally an annual fee of $49 after the first year, but waived for military servicemembers and their spouses with Chase Military Lending Act program
If you are going to get into military credit cards seriously, I don't recommend the Starbucks card. It takes away one of your Chase 5/24 slots which could be better utilized with a higher value card, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Chase Hyatt card. More on credit card application rules here.
The Starbucks Rewards card is a great starter card. It's an easy way to introduce your Starbucks addicted spouse to credit card rewards and annual fee waived cards for military.
However, I would recommend following my list of the best credit cards for military servicemembers and getting a card that pays you 4x Amex Membership Reward points for spending at Starbucks, like the Amex Gold card. The annual fee is also waived for military, thanks to the Amex Military Lending Act program.
American Express® Gold Card
Learn how to apply on our partner's secure site
- Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year- includes OCONUS Commissaries
- 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- No foreign transaction fees – great for the 4x on restaurants when traveling for fun, OCONUS TDY, or PCS!
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That's up to $120 Uber Cash annually! Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made at restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: You can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment required.
- Go explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- Read my full review of the Amex Gold card for military, terms apply
- Enrollment is required for select benefits
- $325 Annual Fee* See more details about American Express protections for you and your spouse
How Much Are Starbucks Stars Worth?
- 25 Stars: Drink modifications (such as an extra shot)
- 50 Stars: Any size hot coffee, tea or a bakery item
- 150 Stars: Handcrafted beverages (including iced coffee), oatmeal or a breakfast sandwich
- 200 Stars: Lunch sandwiches, salads or protein boxes
- 400 Stars: Packaged coffee or a single merchandise item up to $20
4500 Stars are worth 90 drip coffees. A Venti Blonde Roast is usually about $3 depending on where you are in the world, so 90 x $3 = $270 worth of coffee.
A latte, cappuccino, or americano are worth about $5 depending on what size you get. 4500 / 150 = 30 of those would be worth about $150.
Starbucks Credit Card FAQ
4500 Starbucks points are worth about $150 – $270, depending on what drinks you get, what options you add, and where in the world you order Starbucks coffee. You get more bang for your buck with drip coffee than handcrafted drinks like espressos.
If you drink a lot of Starbucks the Starbucks Rewards credit card is probably worth it. Especially with a large welcome bonus you can earn many free drinks with the card. If you don't drink Starbucks daily, it's probably not worth it.
The Starbucks Rewards credit card is issued by Chase Bank. Chase waives the annual fees on this and all their personal cards for US military servicemembers and their spouses.
670 or higher.
50 Starbucks Stars gets you a free drip coffee or 150 for a handcrafted drink like Nitro coldbrew or an espresso based drink like a latte.
Yes, you can use a Starbucks credit card anywhere Visa is accepted, but you are probably better off using a different card like the Amex Gold or Chase Sapphire Reserve. Both annual fees are waived for military and military spouses.