With over 30,000 stores and millions of rewards members, Starbucks is undoubtedly a global phenomenon. So what's the best credit card for your next cup, tea, or refresher (or dog cup)?
Whether you're looking for a cold brew or a morning snack, here's how you can use one of these credit cards and maximize the Starbucks Star program to get the best results on your next Starbucks purchase.
How to earn and use Starbucks Stars
Regardless of which credit card (or gift card) you use to pay at Starbucks, you'll earn two Starbucks stars per dollar when you pay for most Starbucks menu items when you load that amount into the Starbucks app or pay within the app.
As always with participating Starbucks, we will largely ignore these earnings here. But depending on how you use them, each star is worth about 4-5 cents, so check them out and get them.
We'll give a value of 4 cents per point to remain conservative, but please note that sometimes you can get a value higher than that.
The benefits of using the Starbucks Rewards Program are as follows:
- 25 stars: Drink modifications (e.g. extra shots)
- 100 stars: Brewed or iced coffee or tea, bakery items, packaged snacks, etc.
- 200 stars: craft drink or hot breakfast
- 300 stars: Lunch Sandwich, Protein Box, or Homemade Coffee
- 400 stars: Choose a Starbucks product (up to $20)
Keep in mind that Starbucks Stars expire on the 1st of the month, 6 months after they were earned. Be sure to use it. Otherwise you will lose it.
How to earn credit card points at Starbucks
When deciding which credit card to use at Starbucks, your first thought may be which one offers the best bonuses when dining, and that's not a bad approach. But that's not the only way to maximize Starbucks' value.
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Since you can reload your Starbucks balance from the mobile app (or pay in-store using mobile wallet payment options like Apple Pay or Chase Pay), credit cards that offer mobile wallet bonuses can also work well.
For example, the US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card awards 3 points per dollar on mobile wallet purchases.
Information about the US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Starbucks gift cards are sold everywhere from office supply stores to grocery stores, gas stations, warehouse stores, pharmacies, home improvement stores and more. That means the options for getting credit card category bonuses on Starbucks gift cards are nearly endless if you're willing to take that one extra step.
For example, with the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, you can get 5% cash back (or 5 points per dollar spent) when you pick up a Starbucks gift card at an office supply store. It may take a little extra effort, but you'll receive statement credits and rewards that can be used for other purchases.
Starbucks Visa cards are no longer accepted.
“Wait a minute, isn’t there a Starbucks Visa? Shouldn’t that be the best card for Starbucks?” Yes, I had a Starbucks visa, but I can no longer use it. And in fact, it wasn't even the most rewarding credit card for Starbucks purchases.
Related: Getting a free cup of coffee at Starbucks is getting easier.
Good credit card to use at Starbucks
With so many options, narrowing down exactly the best way to pay for your Starbucks order is complicated, but we'll highlight the best methods to get you on the right track.
Category Bonuses | value of reward | Total return per dollar | annual fee | welcome bonus | note | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card | 5 points at office supply stores (available for Starbucks gift card purchase) | 2.05 cents (assuming you also have the premium Ultimate Rewards product) | 10.25 cents | $0 | $750 bonus cashback (75,000 points) after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | 5 points per dollar spent on the first $25,000 in total purchases from office supply stores, cell phones, landlines, Internet and cable TV services each fiscal year |
Citi Prestige® Card | 5 meals | 1.8 cents | 9 cents | $495 | It is no longer available to new applicants. | |
American Express® Gold Card | 4 points for restaurants | 2 cents | 8 cents | $250 (see rates and fees) | Earn 60,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months | |
Chase Freedom Unlimited® | 3 meal points | 2.05 cents (assuming you also have the premium Ultimate Rewards product). | 6.15 cents | $0 | Earn an additional 1.5% on all purchases (up to $20,000 spent in the first year) | |
Chase Sapphire Reserve® | 3 meal points | 2.05 cents | 6.15 cents | $550 | 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening | |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | 3 meal points | 2.05 cents. | 6.15 cents | $95 | 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months from account opening | |
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express | 6% rebate at U.S. supermarkets; Up to $6,000; Then 1% (you can buy Starbucks gift cards here). Cashback is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be exchanged for statement credits. | 2 cents | 12 cents | New annual fee of $0 for the first year, $95 thereafter (see Rates and Fees) | Earn $250 in statement credit after making $3,000 in purchases with your new card within the first six months of card membership. | 6% cash back on up to $6,000 per year at U.S. supermarkets; Then 1%. Terms and conditions apply |
Built MasterCard® | Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining | 2.05 cents | 6.15 cents. | $0 (see rates and fees) | No welcome bonus | Earn points when you make 5 transactions posting each statement period |
US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card | 3 points for mobile wallet purchases | 1.5 cents | 4.5 cents | $400 | 50,000 after purchasing $4,500 in the first 90 days | Payment must be made using a mobile wallet option, such as Apple Pay. |
Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express | 7 points from an American restaurant | 0.6 cents. | 4.2 cents | $550 (see rates and fees) | 150,000 points after $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months | Only in American restaurants |
Capital One Saver Rewards Credit Card | 4% cashback on meals | 1 cent | 4 cents | $95 | $300 cash bonus after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months | |
Any Bank of America credit or debit card | 2% cashback on eligible Starbucks in-app purchases | 1 cent | 2 cents | variety | variety |
Value of rewards based on TPG rating, not card issuer.
Information for the Hilton Aspire Card, Starbucks Visa, Citi Prestige and Capital One Savor Cash Rewards credit cards has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
as you see, American Express Gold Card This is useful when you want to load your Starbucks account directly from the app or pay at a Starbucks store. The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Chase Sapphire Preferred cards are also solid options, earning 3 points per dollar on dining purchases.
You can also consider related Amex offers, Chase offers, and various stacking opportunities that could lead to savings if you're a Starbucks regular.
The best card for Starbucks may change over time.
The best card to have in your wallet for Starbucks purchases will probably change as offers and special promotions from various sources begin to roll out. For example, TPG employees have previously seen a Chase promotion that awarded up to 10 points per dollar at Starbucks on various credit cards.
Additionally, if you have a card like the Chase Freedom (no longer open to new applicants) or Chase Freedom Flex℠ that has a rotating bonus category, that card may sometimes take up the top slot when it rotates in your mobile wallet, depending on what's going on. Cashback promotional offer.
conclusion
Are you already on your second cup of coffee? We know this is a long answer to a simple question.
There is no straight answer as to which credit card is best to use at Starbucks. That’s because there are several cards that can earn you solid rewards in the form of stars and/or cashback. The good news is that Starbucks offers many opportunities to maximize your profits with every purchase you make.
Unless you have a promotional offer that earns you more than 4 points per dollar, we recommend using the Amex Gold Card for Starbucks payments. You can also enjoy bonus benefits by purchasing a Starbucks gift card. Otherwise, the 3 points per dollar you can earn using the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Bilt Mastercard are good alternatives.
Click here to check Amex Gold Card rates and fees.
Click here to see rates and fees for the Hilton Aspire Card.
Click here to check rates and fees for the BlueCash Preferred Card.
Click here to check rates and fees for the Bilt Mastercard.
Click here to see the rewards and benefits of the Bilt Mastercard.