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One use of Starbucks gift cards not mentioned in the article: cashing out foreign currency. "When you’re leaving a foreign country and still have some of the l

One use of Starbucks gift cards not mentioned in the article: cashing out foreign currency. "When you’re leaving a foreign country and still have some of the local currency, take it to a Starbucks and load it onto a gift card. You can use the card later in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and the Republic of Ireland." https://lifehacker.com/put-leftover-foreign-currency-on-a-starbucks-gift-card-1833095163 https://lifehacker.com/put-leftover-foreign-currency-on-a-st...

bdamm 7y ago
Useful tip, thanks! Related is sending Amazon gift cards from the Amazon of their country to people who live in a different country, so that you can effectively send cash without actually sending cash or requiring the receiver to sign up for Paypal etc. The only gotcha is you have to do it using the flavor of Amazon that is the receiver's Amazon, but since Amazon ports your user account and payment information between different Amazons and lets you use your native currency to buy Amazon cards in a different currency, it works.
- peterwwillis 7y ago
  Which is also why Amazon is one of the most popular money laundering sites. Buy goods with stolen cards, ship them somewhere, resell for profit (both gift cards and real merch)
  - ghaff 7y ago
    Even at a small-scale legitimate level, Amazon's useful as a sort of pseudo-cash/petty change bank. They're often a good way to cash out reward points of various types or as a "bank" to convert things like Visa gift cards so you don't need to keep track of them. I have noticed though that Amazon seems to have recognized that people like them for this sort of thing and their point conversion rates often carry a bit of a premium and certainly aren't as good as you can get from some more niche retailers.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
joncrane 7y ago
So they don't charge any explicit foreign exchange fees, but "Currency conversions are based on currency exchange rates applicable on the date of the Transaction." Well can't they just use a super advantageous measure there? There's no pinning to any external rate in the language.
- notatoad 7y ago
  yes, they absolutely can. but they don't. They aren't trying to run a forex business, they're trying to sell coffee so they charge a fair rate. it's not going to be the best rate possible, but it's probably a better rate than anybody else at the airport will give you.
  - dragonwriter 7y ago
    > yes, they absolutely can. but they don't. [citation needed] > They aren't trying to run a forex business Right. Particularly, they aren't trying to sell services to people price shopping for forex, is an incidental convenience provided to a customer base that literally isn't even checking prices. Why you'd assume that the rates will be especially favorable is unclear.
    - notatoad 7y ago
      i'm not assuming anything. when i use my canadian starbucks card in the US i have always been given a fair exchange rate.
    - kortilla 7y ago
      Has it occurred to you that some people actually check?
  - joncrane 7y ago
    They have a captive audience. They literally only have to provide a rate that's roughly equivalent to the usurious "last chance currency exchange" counters at the airports. Heck, since probably no one is paying attention that closely to their statements, they could provide even less favorable rates, and simply issue refunds to anyone that actually notices and complains, and still make more money that way.
elandrum 7y ago
Just be cautious here... in some countries, Starbucks has to operate as a seperate entity and use a different gift card system. For instance, Malaysia Starbucks is a different entity and the gift cards do not work between other non-Malaysia Starbucks. (At least when I was there a few years ago.) This post from 2012 says where the gift cards must be used and redeemed in the same market: https://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2010 https://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/answers/detail/a_i... > Starbucks Cards issued in Brazil, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey may only be used in the market from which they are issued.
- clubm8 7y ago
  I'm surprised FR, DE and ES can restrict the use of the card in the rest of the EU.
  - johannes1234321 7y ago
    When the German Starbucks company (which actually is a Polish company Amrest Coffee) gives out a gift card an independent company in another company doesn't have to take it. They are just sharing a brand, but are different legal entities with independent ownership. (Franchise) But even if it were the same company they could give out gift cards valid only in a single shop or something. Conditions have to be clear, though.
  - kgwgk 7y ago
    Starbucks doesn’t operate in Spain: https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/grupo-vips-takes-control-of-starbucks-coffee-spain-market-shares/ https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/grupo-vips-takes-...
    - PopeDotNinja 7y ago
      That link was from 2016. They do now! https://goo.gl/maps/oVQLjLTgbYzCdDPNA https://goo.gl/maps/oVQLjLTgbYzCdDPNA
burtonator 7y ago
This is how I get around taxation of my bitcoin. I went outside the US and bought $35k worth of Starbucks gift cards. I mean I'm hyper-caffeinated now but at least I didn't pay taxes. PS... I think I can see through time!
fyfy18 7y ago
Be aware that I believe they have some sort of currency pinning to the country that you opened the account in. I opened mine when I was in Ireland, and when using it in the UK occasionally I see € amounts in the app (usually notifications), even though I haven't used it in a € country for a few years. I've also seen my balance varying in £, even though I've only topped up in £. I'm not a heavy user so I haven't dug into it too much (and the rewards make up for the odd penny here and there).
seanmcdirmid 7y ago
That will not work between China and anywhere else.

bdamm 7y ago

Useful tip, thanks! Related is sending Amazon gift cards from the Amazon of their country to people who live in a different country, so that you can effectively send cash without actually sending cash or requiring the receiver to sign up for Paypal etc. The only gotcha is you have to do it using the flavor of Amazon that is the receiver's Amazon, but since Amazon ports your user account and payment information between different Amazons and lets you use your native currency to buy Amazon cards in a different currency, it works.

peterwwillis 7y ago
Which is also why Amazon is one of the most popular money laundering sites. Buy goods with stolen cards, ship them somewhere, resell for profit (both gift cards and real merch)
- ghaff 7y ago
  Even at a small-scale legitimate level, Amazon's useful as a sort of pseudo-cash/petty change bank. They're often a good way to cash out reward points of various types or as a "bank" to convert things like Visa gift cards so you don't need to keep track of them. I have noticed though that Amazon seems to have recognized that people like them for this sort of thing and their point conversion rates often carry a bit of a premium and certainly aren't as good as you can get from some more niche retailers.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

joncrane 7y ago

So they don't charge any explicit foreign exchange fees, but "Currency conversions are based on currency exchange rates applicable on the date of the Transaction." Well can't they just use a super advantageous measure there? There's no pinning to any external rate in the language.

notatoad 7y ago
yes, they absolutely can. but they don't. They aren't trying to run a forex business, they're trying to sell coffee so they charge a fair rate. it's not going to be the best rate possible, but it's probably a better rate than anybody else at the airport will give you.
- dragonwriter 7y ago
  > yes, they absolutely can. but they don't. [citation needed] > They aren't trying to run a forex business Right. Particularly, they aren't trying to sell services to people price shopping for forex, is an incidental convenience provided to a customer base that literally isn't even checking prices. Why you'd assume that the rates will be especially favorable is unclear.
  - notatoad 7y ago
    i'm not assuming anything. when i use my canadian starbucks card in the US i have always been given a fair exchange rate.
  - kortilla 7y ago
    Has it occurred to you that some people actually check?
- joncrane 7y ago
  They have a captive audience. They literally only have to provide a rate that's roughly equivalent to the usurious "last chance currency exchange" counters at the airports. Heck, since probably no one is paying attention that closely to their statements, they could provide even less favorable rates, and simply issue refunds to anyone that actually notices and complains, and still make more money that way.

elandrum 7y ago

Just be cautious here... in some countries, Starbucks has to operate as a seperate entity and use a different gift card system. For instance, Malaysia Starbucks is a different entity and the gift cards do not work between other non-Malaysia Starbucks. (At least when I was there a few years ago.) This post from 2012 says where the gift cards must be used and redeemed in the same market: https://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2010 https://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/answers/detail/a_i... > Starbucks Cards issued in Brazil, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey may only be used in the market from which they are issued.

clubm8 7y ago
I'm surprised FR, DE and ES can restrict the use of the card in the rest of the EU.
- johannes1234321 7y ago
  When the German Starbucks company (which actually is a Polish company Amrest Coffee) gives out a gift card an independent company in another company doesn't have to take it. They are just sharing a brand, but are different legal entities with independent ownership. (Franchise) But even if it were the same company they could give out gift cards valid only in a single shop or something. Conditions have to be clear, though.
- kgwgk 7y ago
  Starbucks doesn’t operate in Spain: https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/grupo-vips-takes-control-of-starbucks-coffee-spain-market-shares/ https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2016/grupo-vips-takes-...
  - PopeDotNinja 7y ago
    That link was from 2016. They do now! https://goo.gl/maps/oVQLjLTgbYzCdDPNA https://goo.gl/maps/oVQLjLTgbYzCdDPNA

burtonator 7y ago

This is how I get around taxation of my bitcoin. I went outside the US and bought $35k worth of Starbucks gift cards. I mean I'm hyper-caffeinated now but at least I didn't pay taxes. PS... I think I can see through time!

fyfy18 7y ago

Be aware that I believe they have some sort of currency pinning to the country that you opened the account in. I opened mine when I was in Ireland, and when using it in the UK occasionally I see € amounts in the app (usually notifications), even though I haven't used it in a € country for a few years. I've also seen my balance varying in £, even though I've only topped up in £. I'm not a heavy user so I haven't dug into it too much (and the rewards make up for the odd penny here and there).

seanmcdirmid 7y ago

That will not work between China and anywhere else.