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Air Canada's Aeroplan recently announced that you can now transfer Aeroplan points to Starbucks for Stars. But, is this a good deal? Here's a breakdown of how the transfer works, and whether you should take advantage of this.
Note that this promotion can only be taken advantage of by Canadian Starbucks account holders at this time.
What are Starbucks Stars?
If you're not already familiar with Starbucks Stars, here's a quick synopsis. Starbucks Stars are part of Starbucks' loyalty program. If you download the app, you can scan the QR code and get one Star per dollar spent, or top up your app account and then get 2 Stars per dollar spent with the app's payment option.
Starbucks Stars can be redeemed in a number of ways, from extra shots to a bag of beans. Unfortunately, not all Starbucks honor the Stars system. This promotion is specifically for participating Starbucks in Canada. Here's a breakdown of what you can redeem your Stars for:
- 25 Stars — Customize your drink. Make your drink just right with an extra espresso shot, dairy substitute, or a dash of your favorite syrup.
- 50 Stars — Brewed hot coffee, bakery item, or hot tea. Pair coffee cake or an almond croissant with your fresh cup of hot brew.
- 150 Stars — Handcrafted drink, hot breakfast, or parfait. Have a really good morning with a breakfast sandwich, oatmeal, or your favorite drink.
- 250 Stars — Protein box or sandwich. Nourish your day with a hearty Caprese sandwich or eggs & cheese protein box.
- 400 Stars — Select merchandise or at-home coffee. Take home a signature cup, a bag of coffee, or your choice of select coffee accessories.
Linking your Aeroplan and Starbucks Accounts
You can actually earn a few Aeroplan points when you link your Aeroplan and Starbucks accounts. Click on this link to link your accounts and then earn the following bonuses:
- A one-time bonus of 400 points after linking your accounts and making your first Starbucks transaction.
- 75 points every time you load your Starbucks card with $50-$74.99 CAD in a single transaction.
- 150 points every time you load your Starbucks card with over $75 CAD in a single transaction.
Transferring Aeroplan Points to Starbucks Stars
The newest way to transfer your Aeroplan points is to Starbucks Stars. The rate is 1,000 Aeroplan points to 200 Starbucks Stars, up to 10,000 Aeroplan points in a single transaction. Click this link to convert from Aeroplan points to Starbucks Stars.
Note that Starbucks Stars expire 6 months after conversion. So, you'll want to have a plan to use your newly minted Stars in the next few months.
Our Take
Starbucks Stars are great rewards if you like Starbucks, and it's great that you can earn some bonus Aeroplan points with your drinks. But the conversion of Aeroplan points to Starbucks Stars is quite poor.
150 Stars gets you a hot drink. If you assume said drink would be priced around $4, Stars are valued at around 2.67 cents each.
In recent AwardWallet user redemptions, Aeroplan points provided an average of 1.95 US cents per point in value for long-haul economy redemptions (and more for premium cabin redemptions). The transfer ratio from Aeroplan points to Stars is 5:1. So, you're having to transfer around 10 cents worth of points to get a Star worth around 2.67 cents each. Even if you valued Aeroplan points at a much more conservative 1 cent each, this is still a bad deal.
The bottom line is you should probably skip converting your Aeroplan points to Starbucks Stars. But, eligible members should definitely link their Aeroplan and Starbucks accounts to earn both points and Stars on your beverages.
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