The Starbucks Duetto Visa card seems like a relic of another time. A time when everyone thought that both coffee-infused sugar bombs and huge amounts of credit card debt were a good idea. Well, Starbucks is still with us, but the Duetto Visa card’s run is over. You can no longer earn Starbucks cards while racking up debt.

Reader Steve writes:

Well, no sooner had Starbucks revamped their “Gold Card” program, sending gold cards to replace black ones and kill the 10% off each purchase feature…than I got notified just now, via direct-mail piece from Chase, that Starbucks now is killing their Starbucks Duetto Visa card, which they had launched a few years ago with great fanfare.

According to the Chase note, signed by Deb Walden, EVP of Cardmember Experience at Chase, “the credit card partnership between Starbucks and Chase Bank USA, N.A. has ended. As a result, in April 2010 your Starbucks Card Duetto credit card account will be replaced with the new Chase Freedom credit card.”

So odd, given that Starbucks has been doing everything it can to solidify relationships with customers willing to pay top $$ for drinks in the midst of a global recession! I had even put the kids’ tuition on the Duetto card to get the “Starbucks bucks” rewards that were redeemable in stores.

Bye-bye Duetto…but I’ll pass on the Chase card and find something more focused on my particular tastes!

Here’s Chase’s e-mailed statement on the matter:

While customers enjoy the benefits of the Starbucks Card Duetto® Visa® card program, the credit card partnership with Chase has ended effective March 31, 2010.

The stored value balance of Starbucks Card Duetto Visa card account holders will be automatically transferred to a Starbucks Card, which Starbucks will send to members by mail. Chase will reissue a new Chase branded Visa® credit card to Starbucks Card Duetto Visa cardholders at their own discretion.

It was a mutual decision by both parties not to renew the credit card partnership.

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