Starbucks Cards Get Personal

‘Tis the season’ for Starbucks customers to find perfect–and personal–gifts for friends, colleagues, and loved ones. Building off a milestone year in which customers loaded and redeemed $1 billion on Starbucks Cards, Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) has created the My Customized Starbucks Card, taking the hand-crafted beverage experience to their Cards just in time for the holidays.

In a few easy steps on the company’s web site, customers can create their own Starbucks moment with colorful coffeehouse art that is sure to delight that hard-to-please friend or relative. My Customized Starbucks Card is available in three different themes for customers to choose from and personalize–each design reflecting the unique personality and flavor of those who carry it. Adding to the individuality of each Card, a name and a simple message can be added. The three themes are: “The Original,”designed to look like one’s most beloved drink order as scribed on the side of the classic Starbucks cup; “My Drink As Art, ” designed to feature one’s favorite drink expressed through vibrant colors and lively artwork; and “My Story,” designed to represent the recipient in a number of unique settings by using characters and illustrative backgrounds.

“We know that our customers love to give and receive Starbucks Cards. In the past year, they’ve spent more than a billion dollars on our cards, and for the holidays we are introducing an innovative solution for them to make the gift of a Starbucks Card even more personal,” says Michelle Desmond, category manager for the Starbucks Card. “My Customized Starbucks Card lets customers express themselves and their enjoyment of the Starbucks Experience in a completely unique way. And we’ve made it really easy by providing the ability to design directly on our web site, or pick up a gift box in our store that lets someone else do the designing.”

To give the gift of customizing a card, customers may purchase a voucher in a gift box for $25 at participating Starbucks stores in the United States or Canada. The cost includes a $4 fee covering the designing and printing of the card and standard shipping to one address (in addition, taxes may apply). The voucher is redeemed online, where the gift recipient designs their card. The card is processed within 48 to 72 business hours and then mailed.

To design one as a gift, or for themselves, customers may go directly to www.starbucks.com/mycard to create a card and choose from our standard denominations of $15, $25, $50 or $100.

My Customized Starbucks Card, like all Starbucks Cards, may be reloaded again and again in-store or on the Starbucks web site, making it a gift that can be enjoyed for months or years to come. Customers can protect the value of their My Customized Starbucks Card against loss or theft by registering it on Starbucks.com. My Customized Starbucks Card is accepted in all company-operated stores in the United States and Canada. In addition, the Starbucks Card is accepted at nearly all licensed store locations in the United States, including airport and most grocery store locations. Starbucks Cards have no expiration date and are free of transaction and inactivity fees. .