Starbucks Rewards in other countries?
 

I made several Starbucks stops while in London recently and got to wondering...

Of course I can't use my US based rewards card in the UK, but could I have bought a card there, registered it online, and earned stars while overseas?

Has anyone else tried this? Does it work?

Actually, you absolutely can use your US-based rewards card in the UK, I did it when I was in the UK earlier this year. France too. I didn't try it in Italy because even their rest stop coffee is frankly amazing, but the only place it didn't work was in Germany.

Starbucks Rewards in other countries?
 

How competitive were the FX rates?

Starbucks Rewards in other countries?
 

That's good you can use it there. In Canada for sure, but didn't realize a US-based card can be used in EU.

I know the couple of places I've inquired in Asia it doesn't work. India for sure (It's Tata Starbucks there - joint venture with Tata due to ownership rules). Also in Indonesia they said it wouldn't work, but I didn't really try since I only had my digital card with me and they don't have the readers for it. I also tried to register cards from both in my US account, but it wouldn't work, so would also be surprised if they would take the US card.

Agree - I've redeemed rewards in the USA on my UK card.

The rates are perfect - interbank. One FT'er I think has posted that s/he uses up small change by topping up their card.

I live in the UK (always have) but "joined" starbucks rewards back in 2005 whilst in the US ... and use the card here always no problems. Some of the offers - ie the free breakfast don't work but the free coffees do - also the US card is better than the UK as think it is only 30? stars for Gold whereas UK (unless changed) is 50 also 10 instead of 15 stars for free beverage.
One thing I also find the card useful - if I am travelling to a country I am unlikely to return to I just find a starbucks and load my card with the loose change/currency.

Can't use US based cards in Korea either. Even US military bases don't accept them since they're run by Shinsegae owned Starbucks Korea.

Take a look at this from the starbucks site...

http://customerservice.starbucks.com...tail/a_id/2010

Wish there could be true world usage for Starbucks cards.

I've used my US starbucks card in the UK without issue. If the store accepted starbucks cards, mine worked(I recalled some starbucks on some highway reststops in the UK did not accept starbucks cards period).

You get rewarded for drinking Starbucks?

:D

A couple years ago I contacted Starbucks about using my card in Ireland, and the CSR told me it would not work in other countries.

Thanks for the info. I will just have to load some extra dollars on the card before my next trip overseas!

Thanks for the link. I copied the information in it & created a wiki.

Cheers. Sharon

I just had to laugh at the first sentence in that link. Since when is Mexico not part of North America? :)

Has anyone run in to a store in any of the countries that a US Starbucks card works at where they did not accept the starbucks app and you needed a physical card?

I was thinking the same thing :D

Well, you wouldn't do it voluntarily surely

Here we go again with the Starbucks bashing. Is it authentic Italian espresso? No. Is it a lot better than most of the other options in many places? Yes.

I have 15 more stars to go for gold this year again (haven't been going to Sbux much of late - and my old office had a barista). I'll just almost make it!

Have you been getting the bonus star offers in your email?

I have been getting a ton of bonus offers lately. What's up with that?

They're offering three stars for ordering Reserve here in Korea. Thursdays via Siren Order.

I've used the UK card in US, Canada, Hong Kong and Australia.

Got the reward stars for all those transactions. Topped it up in all of the above countries as well.

No! How do I do that?

A little more than usual, I'd say.

Do you have some sort of settings on your starbucks card where they aren't sending you promos via email? Apparently some of us are getting bonus star offers(buy certain things and get extra stars, do mobile ordering and get extra stars etc..)

Check your account and make sure you've opted in to all emails from SBUX.

I get an offer for *something* basically every week. A few weeks ago it was 3-4 bonus stars for every purchase over $15, this week it is 25% off any lunch item.

A few weeks ago they had two or three promos running at the same time. One was 5 or 6 stars for ordering an iced drink and a breakfast item in one transaction, which I had planned to do anyways. The other was 15 bonus stars for 10 days in a row of purchases, in addition to the 10 stars you get from the purchases.

I had a few freebies saved up, and then immediately recieves three more on the same day.

I used all but one at once on a business trip, much to the surprise of the barista.

Spent a small fortune on Starbucks while in Seoul earlier this year, and Starbucks rewarded me by taking all my stars from my US-based account when I returned.

Loyalty programs that are counterproductive are dumb.

They're separate entities. How did that happen? Well, I can tell you contacting Starbucks corporate through email is pointless but shaming them on Instagram might be more effective. Those stars count for something!

From the perspective of the man-on-the-street, separate corporate entities is their problem; they appear to be the same corporate entity. I suppose it happened because I wasn't frequent enough, or didn't claim the rewards frequently enough. But the timing made it extra annoying. Where we stayed in Yonshinnae in Seoul, the Starbucks was too convenient, or we would have patronized some other coffee seller.

You're quite right that emailing them via customer service was a waste of time. But on the whole I regard their action as a positive, if only because it dissuaded me from buying their overly-roasted coffee on occasion.

Still, if you have a loyalty program that works to turn business away, isn't that sort of pointless?

Truly. Use it or lose it is stupid.

Which location in Germany? SBUX seems to have the same type of loyalty program in Germany like in the US.

Also, I logged in to my SBUX account on their German site and it gave me an option to load my card in EUR. Has anyone tried this? If yes comment your exprerience and tell me if it credited a Star or not.

Super old thread, but no sense in starting a new one when the exact question is asked right here. Can you join Starbucks Rewards in another country while still having your U.S. account? Maybe they make you use a different email? I spend a lot of time in Spain and buy probably 50 coffees a year; would be nice to earn stars and redeem U.S. gift cards (that I can buy at Staples) through their app in euros. Anyone done an EU and US program at the same time on the same phone?

I haven't had luck using US rewards in Europe, is it supposed to work?

no, it only works in the countries messaged up thread. I’m asking if it’s possible to join a Euro program and earn stars with a US phone number/phone plan or as a non EU resident.

I couldn’t figure it out either

Would it be worth it signing up for a U.S. account if most use will be in the Philippines?