One of Starbucks’ Money-Making Methods

A user shared this story: a friend gave her a $4,000 Starbucks gift card that went unused for a while. When she finally decided to use it, she found the balance had dropped to zero. Customer service explained that a $2 monthly management fee is deducted from each card. Other stored-value cards operate similarly—fees steadily eat away at the balance if you don't use them, such as Wanda Cinemas gift cards.