I’m not gonna lie, I still have my Starbucks Gold Card in my wallet. Call me sentimental, but it once gave me a strange mix of excitement and guilt. After all, I had done the math and realized exactly what this card had cost me (more on that later). But I was also stoked to know I’d be drinking a FREE Venti Mocha on my next trip through the Starbucks drive-thru. Here’s a fun little breakdown of what the Starbucks Gold Card was, and how you earned it.

Starbucks Gold Card….What Is It?

The Starbucks gold card was the holy grail of reward cards that scored you some nifty free drinks and treats.

Unfortunately, as of April 2019 Starbucks is NO longer sending out Gold Cards anymore. Boo!!

See Also: 10 Starbucks Prices That Actually Make Their Coffee Affordable

So…How Did I Earn The Gold Card?

When you signed-up with the Starbucks Rewards Program you started at the Green Level.

Earn at least 300 Stars in a 12 month period and you got promoted to the Gold Level.

Not only would your Starbucks app make you a Gold member, but Starbucks would ACTUALLY mail you a Gold Card that you could show off to your friends.

The best part is you’d earn 2 stars for every $1 spent with your Gold card.

Then you could actually redeem those stars for free coffee or food.

See Also: 9 Brilliant Ways to Hack the Starbucks Rewards Program

What Exactly Did the Gold Card Give Me?

Well, first of all, you would get everything that someone at the Green Level gets:

– Free Birthday Drink – You’ll find your birthday reward on the Starbucks app starting the day before your birthday. You’ll have until the day after your birthday to redeem it. Any size, any drink.

– Free In-Store Refills – Score a free refill on your way out. You can score a free refill on any sized iced coffee, iced tea (or hot tea), or brewed coffee. So if you originally bought a Grande, you’ll get a Grande sized free refill.

– Member Only Offers and Deals – These exclusive deals include discounts on specific drinks, products, and food items.

Plus, you get these Gold Level ONLY perks….

– Monthly Double-Star Days – On certain days you’ll earn 4 stars for every dollar spent. Be sure to sign-up for emails to be notified of double-star days.

– Reward Every 125 Stars – This is where the magic happens. If you’re going to be stopping at Starbucks anyways on the way to work why not get something out of it?

– Personalized Gold Card – Yes, they’d actually mail you your own Gold Card a couple weeks after you earn it.

Do the Reward Points Expire?

Surprisingly, YES your reward stars do indeed expire.

I didn’t do the math cuz I’m a dullard, but it looks like they expire 6 months after you earn them.

Is It a Lofty Goal or Wasted Money?

If you drink at Starbucks often, like at least 4 times per month, it’s definitely worth signing up for their rewards program and shooting for Gold.

The reason is because at the introductory Green level you DO NOT earn any free drinks or treats. Boo!

So the Gold level actually pays you back with free coffee.

But let’s be honest here…in order to get a Gold Card you gotta buy $150 worth of Starbucks drinks and food in a 12-month period.

That’s a lot of $5 milkshakes that they trick us into buying by calling them Frappuccinos.

Is the Card Actually Made of Gold?

Nope, it’s just good ol’ plastic…but I sure wish it was 14 karat gold.

How cool would that be though?

Can Starbuck’s Employees Earn Stars?

Yes.

They actually earn 3 stars for every dollar spent instead of 2 that us regular caffeine addicts earn.

If you work for Starbucks make sure you register your “Partner” rewards card and start earning.

Is There a Free Starbucks for Life Card?

Unbelievably, YES.

Starbucks actually just gave one away a few years ago.

Keep an eye out for another chance to win free coffee for life soon.

Ask the Reader: Do you still have your Starbucks Gold Card in your wallet? If so, how many free drinks did it earn you?

By Kyle James

Most shoppers love Amazon. Hard not to with the free 2-day shipping, cool Prime perks, and competitive pricing. But with Amazon’s popularity comes growing security concerns as hackers try to crack the huge database of shoppers and their linked credit cards. If for some unforeseeable reason your Amazon account gets hacked, here are the 6 things you need to do right away…

1. Immediately Change Your Amazon Password

If you think your Amazon account was hacked for ANY reason, the first thing you should do is immediately login to your account and change your password.

To make this happen just click on Accounts & Lists, followed by Your Account, then Login & Security.

Make your new password a string of random numbers and letters and not actual words.

Then write it down somewhere for safe keeping.

If you need help generating a strong password, I’m a big fan of StrongPasswordGenerator.com.

It would also be REALLY smart to change the password on the email account associated with your Amazon account.

In many cases this is how hackers gain access to your Amazon account if you’re signed up with Amazon’s 2-step verification system.

In other words, if they can get into your email account it becomes easy to also get into your Amazon account.

Important: DO NOT use the same password that you use on other popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

See Also: 6 Out-Of-The-Box Ways to Score Amazon Prime for Free or Cheap

2. Check Your Account Information

Next, click around your Amazon account carefully and make sure nothing has been altered.

Check your linked credit cards (if any), billing address, shipping address, phone number, and email address.

If any information has been changed, be sure to note the change (with a screen capture) and then correct it.

At this point you should call Amazon’s security department at (888) 282-2406 and tell them that your account has been breached.

They’ll be able to provide further assistance and help you keep an eye on your account activity in the coming days.

3. Check Purchase History (Especially Archived Orders)

Next, take a look at your Amazon order history and make sure you recognize all recent purchases.

Don’t forget to click on Archived Orders as often times hackers will “hide” fraudulent orders there.

You’ll find all of your archived orders in the “Ordering and Shopping Preferences” section of your Amazon account. See screenshot above.

See Also: Amazon Return Policy: No More Confusion, Here’s EXACTLY How It Works

4. Enable Amazon 2-Step Verification

By turning on 2-Step Authentication your Amazon account is much harder to hack into.

Essentially it requires a security code to be entered whenever you attempt to access your account from a new computer, smartphone, or tablet.

To authenticate, Amazon will simply shoot you a text message with a security code attached that you manually enter.

Very easy to do and definitely helps keep hackers out of your account.

5. Consider Un-Linking Credit Cards

Having your credit card(s) linked to your account makes ordering much easier. Believe me, I know.

But it also creates an easy way for hackers to make unauthorized purchases on those cards.

A simple workaround is to un-link all payment methods from your Amazon account.

Yes, you’ll have to enter your card info every time you make a purchase, BUT you won’t have to worry about someone hacking into your account and making a bunch of purchases.

6. Check all Credit Card Accounts

At this point it’s also smart to check all of your credit cards that are linked to your Amazon account.

Make sure none of them have any unauthorized purchases on them.

Bonus: 3 Ways to Protect Yourself From Future Attacks

1. Never Click on Phishy Emails

If you get a supposed email from Amazon about your account, but it just doesn’t look right, DO NOT click on any links within the email.

Also, check the email address of the sender. Often times these phishing emails will NOT be from an address ending with @amazon.com. Stay far away from those.

2. Don’t Access your Amazon Account Over Unsecured Network

In other words, try not to shop online when sipping a latte at Starbucks if you’re using their free WiFi.

3. Get Into Your Account if Hacker Changes Email Address

Well, in short, you CAN’T get into your Amazon account if this happens.

You’ll have to immediately call Amazon at (888) 280-4331 and they can remove the fraudulent email address and lock your account until the issue is resolved.

Ask the Reader: Has your Amazon account ever been hacked? How did the hacker get into your account and what damage was done?

By Kyle James

The GameStop return policy is fairly strict, especially when it comes to opened games and consumers trying to return items without a receipt. It’s with this in mind that I wanted to dig deep into their return policy and get an answer to all your burning questions. Without further ado, here’s exactly how the return policy works at GameStop. I hope it helps.

How Many Return Days Does GameStop Give?

15 days.

You have exactly 15 days to return stuff to GameStop.

It’s also worth noting that refunds are issued to the original form of payment.

The only exception to this is cash purchases over $150.

You’ll have to wait 14 business days to be issued a check from the corporate office.

Are There Any Exceptions to the 15 Days?

Yes, there are a couple exceptions:

– Unopened New Tablets – You have 14 days to get a full refund.

– Downloadable Content – Gamestop does not offer a refund or exchange of any kind.

See Also: Newegg Return Policy: Let’s Make Sense Of a Complicated Policy

Can Items Be Opened?

If you bought the game or gaming console new, it absolutely cannot be opened if you want to return it for a refund.

Be aware that GameStop considers games “opened” once the shrink wrap is removed.

This is ABSOUTELY ridiculous, how are you suppose to know if the console is broken or not working WITHOUT opening it?

If it’s opened, your only option is an identical exchange within 15 days of your purchase.

This protects you if the product is damaged through no fault of your own.

Do I Need My Receipt to Return Items?

YES!

Perhaps more than other store, you need to guard your GameStop receipts with the highest security.

This makes sense as their return policy could easily be abused by gamers if they didn’t require proof of purchase.

Without your receipt, you’re up a stinky creek without a paddle.

What About Returning Pre-Owned Titles?

This is where their return policy is kinda cool, but also opens them up to some abuse by gamers.

When buying pre-owned games, they give you 7 days to return the item for a full refund, EVEN if opened.

Great way to test out games as you really have nothing to lose if the game turns out to be dumb.

After your 7 days are up, GameStop still gives you 15 days to do an identical exchange.

Warning: Don’t abuse this policy as you take the risk of being banned from future returns.

What About Returning Items Bought Online?

You have two options when buying from their website:

You can either return your purchase to any GameStop location, or you can send it back using the return shipping label that came with your order.

Be aware that all of the above info pertains to both online and in-store purchase. Namely, you NEED your receipt or packing slip to be eligible for a return.

NOTE: DON’T mail back opened games as Gamestop “does not issue refunds for non-qualifying items and cannot return the items to you.”

In other words, you’ll never see your game or money again.

See Also: Target Return Policy: Smart Tips and Tricks to Make It Work

What About Returning Gaming Accessories?

GameStop is a little more lenient when it comes to returning accessories.

You can get a full refund on opened or unopened accessories within 15 days of purchase.

Other Return Policy Tidbits…

“Bundled” Products – If you try to return an item that was part of a bundle, they’ll refuse your return.

Get a Credit for Handling Costs – If you’re returning an item via the mail, which was bought online, you’re eligible for a handling credit if the reason for the return is an error on the part of GameStop. Call them at 1-800-883-8895 to request your credit.

Defective Products After 30 Days – At this point the manufacturer’s warranty will apply to defective video games, systems and computer hardware.

Ask the Reader: What’s been your experience with the GameStop return policy?

By Kyle James

Photo Credit to Mike Mozart.