The interest free loan is more like $1B dollars. This $181M is the breakage, the left over gift card balances that are unlikely to be redeemed and they are recognizing as revenue. e.g. The $2 left on a $20 gift card that someone doesn't bother redeeming.
They also get another $1B of deposits from people loading money onto their app to pay for drinks. Starbucks is basically sitting on the equivalent of a small banks deposits at any given time.
Right, I guess it's really "nice little effortless profit!"
This is why gift cards / loyalty balances are just crazy to me.
For a little convenience, you turn money into feudal coinage that only ever goes down in value: you see no interest, no adjustment for inflation. $100 on a gift card today is $97 (and probably less!) a year from now, ignoring completely the benefit the financial upside to the company for it.
Comments
The interest free loan is more like $1B dollars. This $181M is the breakage, the left over gift card balances that are unlikely to be redeemed and they are recognizing as revenue. e.g. The $2 left on a $20 gift card that someone doesn't bother redeeming.
They also get another $1B of deposits from people loading money onto their app to pay for drinks. Starbucks is basically sitting on the equivalent of a small banks deposits at any given time.
Right, I guess it's really "nice little effortless profit!"
This is why gift cards / loyalty balances are just crazy to me.
For a little convenience, you turn money into feudal coinage that only ever goes down in value: you see no interest, no adjustment for inflation. $100 on a gift card today is $97 (and probably less!) a year from now, ignoring completely the benefit the financial upside to the company for it.
Now I'm all worked up …