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In an email to cardholders, Chase confirmed that the Chase Freedom Unlimited® would replace the Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card later this year. The Starbucks Visa Card closed to new applicants in the summer of 2022, and it seems Chase is fully ending its relationship with the coffee house. Although a forced card product change is never the most appealing of options, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® has some excellent features and benefits for a no-annual-fee card.
When Will the Starbucks Visa Card Transition Occur?
According to Chase, the transition from Starbucks Visa Card to Freedom Unlimited will happen to the following timeline:
- Effective July 20, 2023, your account will be switched over to the Freedom Unlimited account. Your credit line, account number, travel and purchase protection benefits, and interest rates will not change.
- Over the following six to eight weeks, you will be issued with a new Chase Freedom Unlimited®. However, you can keep using your Starbucks Visa Card.
How Do The Cards Compare?
| Starbucks Rewards™ Visa® Card | Chase Freedom Unlimited® | |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | Earn up to 3 Stars per $1 at Starbucks stores | Earn 3% cash back at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services. |
| Drugstores | Earn 1 Star per $4 on drugstore purchases | Earn 3% cash back on drugstore purchases |
| Grocery stores, transit and commuting, and internet, cable, and phone services. | Earn 1 Star per $2 | Earn 1.5% cash back. |
| Other Purchases | Earn 1 Star per $4 on everything else | Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. |
| Annual Fee | $49 annual fee | $0 annual fee |
The Changeover Fine Print
- From July 20, 2023, cardholders will no longer earn Starbucks Stars. Instead, they will earn Cash Back Rewards.
- Starbucks Stars will still be earned on purchases that post prior to July 20, 2023.
- If you signed up for DoorDash DashPass Membership before July 19, 2023, you would receive a 1-year complimentary membership for both DoorDash and Caviar.
- If you sign up after July 19, 2023, you will receive three months of complimentary DoorDash Pass plus nine months of DashPass at a 50% discount.
Expiration of Stars:
- Before this change, Stars earned through Starbucks Visa Card wouldn't expire.
- Now, Stars earned through July 19, 2023 will be valid through August 2024.
- Starbucks Stars earned from July 20, 2023 through January 2024 will also expire in August 2024.
- After January 2024, your earned stars will expire after six months — in line with Starbucks' expiration policy.
Our Take
If you are a big Starbucks fan, this news will be disappointing. This is especially true because this news followed the major devaluation of its loyalty program in February 2023.
However, if you are looking to maximize your rewards from spending your hard-earned cash, you can't do much better than the Chase Freedom Unlimited®. The card offers excellent earning rates for a no-annual-fee card.
In addition, when you combine it with other Chase Ultimate Rewards earning cards, it can be a points-earning powerhouse. Combining the Chase Freedom Unlimited® with the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Chase Sapphire Reserve® gives you a trifecta of Chase Ultimate Rewards cards.
In short, it's hard to beat. If you are already in the Chase ecosystem and hold one or two of the Sapphire cards, this involuntary product change may be a positive outcome in the long run.
H/T: Doctor Of Credit
Will you be keeping your new Freedom Unlimited? Let us know in the comments below.
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the only reason I had the Chase Starbucks card was to use to reload my Starbucks app, which I use a lot, and to accumulate additional Starbuck’s stars. I will not keep the new card.