For Starbucks and Delta loyalty members, the simplest way to earn SkyMiles won’t be as simple anymore.
The Atlanta-based carrier announced on Wednesday that it is changing how SkyMiles members will earn miles from Starbucks purchases — but it’s not necessarily all bad news.
Effective June 12, eligible travelers will only receive SkyMiles on reloads of $25 or more to their Starbucks accounts. As part of the changes, Delta and Starbucks are incentivizing bigger reloads. Travelers who purchase $100 reloads will receive two miles per dollar spent — a nice bonus for those who drink lots of Starbucks.
The earning rates for reloads are as follows:
| Starbucks reload amount | $25 to $49.99 | $50 to $74.99 | $75 to $99.99 | $100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkyMiles | 25 miles | 75 miles | 125 miles | 200 miles |
A Delta spokesperson noted that “the majority of members with linked accounts already reload funds to their Starbucks accounts, so the program updates allow members to easily earn miles based on how they’re ordering and enjoying their Starbucks favorites.”
Since the Delta and Starbucks partnership was announced in October 2022, SkyMiles members have received one mile for every dollar spent at Starbucks.
Though Delta is changing how members earn SkyMiles on eligible everyday Starbucks purchases, members will still be able to earn double stars on Starbucks purchases made the same day they travel with Delta.
Note that eligible purchases are defined as purchases of food, beverages or merchandise at participating Starbucks stores, which you can find using the chain’s store locator. Alcoholic beverages and the purchase of Starbucks gift cards do not earn bonus stars as part of the partnership.
If you haven’t already linked your accounts, visit either deltastarbucks.com or starbucksdelta.com to get started.
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Delta will continue to offer top-tier Platinum and Diamond Medallion members the option to select bonus stars as part of the Choice Benefits options. In 2024, travelers can select 4,000 stars, which jumps to 6,000 stars in 2025.
While TPG publishes monthly points valuations for most of the top airline, hotel and credit card loyalty currencies, we do not have an official valuation for Starbucks stars.
That said, the redemption rates for stars vary based on the item you are looking to purchase. It takes 100 stars to get a free brewed hot coffee, bakery item or hot tea.
Depending on your daily coffee consumption and redemption patterns, you’ll likely value stars differently. So, be sure to crunch the numbers before you redeem a Choice Benefit for Starbucks stars.
In addition to these changes, Delta promises that there will be even more earning opportunities to come, beginning with a new limited-time offer next week.
While we’ll keep our eyes peeled, Delta’s changes aren’t necessarily negative. Travelers will just need to use the reload feature to earn SkyMiles going forward. If you’re a big Starbucks spender, you might even earn SkyMiles twice as fast as before — it’s just too bad the sky-high redemption rates for the Delta One pods will still be out of reach.
Don’t forget that in addition to earning SkyMiles and Starbucks stars on coffee purchases, you’ll also continue to earn bonus points on dining purchases by using one of our recommended credit cards for dining and restaurants.
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