Technology

Communal Starbucks Card Is No More

For almost a month, Starbucks-drinking iPhone users could use the image of Jonathan Stark’s iOS app Starbucks card and get their caffeine fix for free. Although Starbucks initially supported this effort, they ended it last week.

Starbucks Shuts Down Jonathan Starks Free Use Starbucks Card

By pulling up this image on their iPhone, for the last month up until last Friday, Starbucks users could get a free coffee using this account. (Jonathan Stark)

Mashable has more:

Adam Brotman, vice president of digital ventures at Starbucks, phoned Stark earlier Friday evening to inform him that the card would be deactivated. Starbucks, he says, was rooting for the experiment from the sidelines, even though the company’s terms do not permit the use of shared registered cards.

“I’m sad about it, first and foremost, because we were legitimately cheering on this experiment,” Brotman says.

. . .

Friday morning, entrepreneur Sam Odio’s “How to use Jonathan’s card to buy yourself an iPad” blog post lit the web on the fire. Some saw the card exploit as an evolution of the experiment; others saw it as theft. Odio even later offered to return the funds. Once the exploit was public, however, Starbucks felt compelled to deactivate the card.

Here’s what Odio said on his blog that spurred the shutdown of this social experiment:

Since I don’t find the idea of yuppies buying yuppies coffees very interesting I decided to mix things up a bit. I coded up a script that would alert me whenever the card balance reached a certain threshold (github). And here’s the twist: for the last week I (and others) have been using this script to transfer donated money off Jonathan’s card and onto our own Starbucks gift cards. It’s easy: just head to your local starbucks, pop open your computer, run this script, and when the music plays, cash in.

Through this strategy I’ve personally netted $625 by spending less than 5 hours at Starbucks. That’s enough for an iPad.

I’m not getting an iPad, though. Instead I’m selling the card on eBay and donating the proceeds to Save The Children. Assuming the card sells for face value I’ll have fed 20 children for a month. So here’s your social experiment: will people bid up the price of the card to face value (or possibly exceed it)? Or am I alone in thinking that helping a stranger find their next caffeine fix is not what we should be worried about in today’s world?

Use of the card launched on July 14, giving users the opportunity to not only get “free” coffee with the card but also to donate money and keep the funding going. According to PC World, the balance got as high as $185. Just last week, Starbucks spokesperson Gina Woods told PC World, “We think Jonathan’s project is really interesting and are flattered he chose Starbucks for his social experiment.”

[H/T PC World]

Comments (34)

  • melmatmic
    Posted on August 17, 2011 at 11:40am

    Tomferrari, Great ICON

    Report Post » melmatmic  
  • scjeff
    Posted on August 17, 2011 at 8:48am

    All of these folks qualify for government work now. Take something and start it with a good intention and assume that everyone will follow your will for how it is used and then be shocked when the unintended consequences ensue as people figure out how to game the system. Starbucks should now recognize why we need to shut down the welfare programs for the exact same purpose.

    Report Post » scjeff  
  • aggiebrewer
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:32pm

    I must be getting old. I don’t understand anything about this story. Is this theft? Fraud? Or is it just pseudo philanthropy?
    I guess the better question is why should I care?

    Report Post »  
    • Jaycen
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:36pm

      That’s what I was thinking. This has got to be the dumbest, “Who in the world would care” stories I’ve ever seen.

      Don’t get me wrong, I‘m sure it’s news to someone…

      Report Post » Jaycen  
    • jcannon98188
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 11:35pm

      It is a public interest story. I for one am dissapointed in the loser who ruined it for everyone. What was a social experiment in the willingness of mankind to support eachother turned into someone trying to exploit it for their own gain. That is socialism I guess :/

      Report Post »  
    • melmatmic
      Posted on August 17, 2011 at 11:25am

      I’m still trying to figure out why anyone would spend so much for a cup of coffee.

      Report Post » melmatmic  
  • olddog
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:27pm

    I‘m amazed some of You People didn’t know Starbucks was a liberal organization, amazed.
    Guess what Google is too but a 1000 more left and their watching You…

    Report Post » olddog  
    • aggiebrewer
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:34pm

      I too am surprised that people did not realize they are progressive hippy wonks at Starbucks.
      Any business that sells the New York Times at the counter in the state of Texas is SCREAMING liberal.

      Report Post »  
    • melmatmic
      Posted on August 17, 2011 at 11:29am

      ODIO acted just like the government. Took other people’s money and sent it where he wanted it to go. Whether it is a worthy cause is not the point. He stole the money and should be prosecuted.

      Report Post » melmatmic  
    • GHill7.62
      Posted on August 23, 2011 at 10:15pm

      I don’t know, or pretend to know, Starbucks’ political leanings; I do however know that the corporation supports constitutional and concealed carry laws. There was a story either on here or on one of the gun forums last year about it. That doesn’t seem too liberal, and quite frankly I was shocked by the story.

      Report Post » GHill7.62  
  • independentvoteril
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 3:33pm

    Don‘t care if coffee at Starbucks is FREE it’s the WORST coffee I ever drank..

    Report Post » independentvoteril  
  • ljfriday
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 1:51pm

    People were partaking of their own free will, the government was not stepping in and taking people’s hard earned money to put on a communal coffee card for the use of people the government has deemed worthy of their “charity”. The fact that someone then stole the money for their own personal gain speaks to the decline of personal integrity in our citizens, it has nothing to do with whether or not freely giving of your money and time to benefit other people is a worthwhile exercise of one’s agency.

    Report Post »  
  • db321
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 10:52am

    Starbucks is trying make their customers pay for the Millions they contributed to Obama’s Campaign – I smell Competition coming – see ya Starbucks! From this day forward you will not see another penny from me and my family.

    Report Post » db321  
    • Bluebonnet
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 11:05am

      This is one very good reason I DO NOT drink Starbucks coffee, I do not eat Tom & Jerry’s ice cream,
      and just go down the list. I will not support those who support a communist, marxist man who became president via teleprompter with words that had no meaning for him except to bring down America to a 3rd world country and all you lovers of Evil thought he was saying something good. Nope, it’s evil.

      Report Post »  
    • dkbarnum
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:07pm

      I have worked for Starbucks for 18 yrs. While the leadership is more liberal than I am they treat their partners very well. I think what is more interesting than this Starbucks story is that “Howard Schultz, the CEO, is calling for a boycott of political contributions until the U.S. Congress and the President return to Washington and deliver a fiscally-disciplined, long-term debt and deficit plan to the American people. Additionally, in his conversation with other CEOs, there is unanimous agreement that the unemployment situation and corporate and small business acceleration of investment in new jobs require congressional and presidential focus so that the public and private sectors are rebuilding the confidence of the American people, investors and the overall global economy.” (quoted from an internal memo) So before you get on the “hate bandwagon” think about some of these things: avg tenure=3 years, medical benefits for 20 hrs/week, stock options & stock purchase plan (for part time hourly) and too many more to list.

      Report Post »  
    • Lowgo1981
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 2:04pm

      Ben & Jerry’s. Tom & Jerry were a cat and mouse cartoon.

      Report Post »  
  • thorkyl
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:58am

    Not theft, same principle as need a penny, take a penny, or leave a penny at the counter of the local stop and rob.

    I leave pennies every day.
    $0.96 for my morning coffee, I pay a buck and drop the 4 cents in the cup

    About once every 2 weeks the cashier gives me a free cup

    Report Post » thorkyl  
    • nateums
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 10:00am

      exactly… i couldn’t think of a good analogy, but that’s perfect. i would rather do something like this before something like food stamps that can be used to buy anything.

      Report Post » nateums  
    • an irishgal
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 10:01am

      Sounds like bean counting…why not just buy the cup of coffee..isn’t it difficult to keep track of all those pennies?

      Report Post »  
    • drphil69
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 11:37am

      Did you all miss the part about the scam where the dude transferred all the money onto a gift card??

      It is amazing how easy it is to scam people, EVEN AFTER YOU ARE TOLD ABOUT IT!

      Report Post »  
    • hmanwarren1
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 12:23pm

      A penny saved is a penny earned.

      Report Post »  
  • Brizz
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:49am

    Reminds me of the In Rainbows album by Radiohead.

    That worked out well too.

    Report Post » Brizz  
  • With An F
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:46am

    There wasn’t ANY theft going on here. The card was made available thru an iPhone app, and people could either put funds on it or use it. So, some generous person would add $20 or so to the card, and the next few people using the card would get free coffee.

    See online articles about Caffè Pagato or Caffè sospeso, it’s been a tradition in Italy and in other places to buy coffee for those who otherwise could not afford it. Unfortunately, no one using this card was likely to be unable to purchase the coffee, just someone saving a couple of bucks. Interesting social experiment, though.

    Report Post » With An F  
    • an irishgal
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:57am

      WOW…stealing has become a “social” experiment! At the end…evil will be good and good will be evil. Starbucks in what “flattered”…crazy.

      Report Post »  
    • melmatmic
      Posted on August 17, 2011 at 11:36am

      There was theft going on. Let’s say I give the secretary at work $20 to by coffee for the office and she instead buys a gift card and sells it on an auction web site, attesting that the proceeds will be given to charity, has she stolen the $20. I think diversion of funds is theft.

      Report Post » melmatmic  
  • nateums
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:42am

    It’s not stealing. It’s one card, anyone can add to the balance or buy a coffee on it. Really slick actually, you could do that with something like Subway and directly feed the poor without giving them money to waste and exclude government from it in the process. Like anything, someone figured out how to manipulate it to their own end.

    Report Post » nateums  
  • nateums
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 9:39am

    It wasn’t stealing from themselves. There was one card, anyone could add money to the available balance, or use it to buy a coffee. Interesting, because you can use that in other ways, say for food or what not… very slick way to get government out of the process of feeding people and take it directly on ourselves. But, like with anything, someone came along, found a way to use it beyond the original idea.

    Report Post » nateums  
  • karenhasfreedom
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 8:09am

    I found this confusing. How did this work again?

    Report Post » karenhasfreedom  
  • 338lapua
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:41am

    Wow, they cheered on theft…..from themselves…..
    Who is John Galt?

    Report Post »  
  • PingPongPing
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 6:39am

    when people don’t have any moral compass, they will do anything as they please.

    Report Post » PingPongPing  
  • foobear
    Posted on August 16, 2011 at 4:07am

    This serves both as an excellent lesson as to why Communism doesn’t work and an example of how some shady people can steal money and pretend it is moral.

    Report Post » foobear  

Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In

Sign Up For Our Newsletter!

Glenn Beck Radio

Listen to Glenn Beck 24/7 Listen Now
Restoring Love