The steel card itself isn't that bad an idea, but having a $50 surcharge for a limited edition card that "comes with gold membership" is just silly. If you spend enough on Starbucks that $400 pre-loaded is a good idea, you already have gold status. With the premium beans at least you were getting beans that weren't normally available and at "little luxury" prices. I can come up with better ideas to sell the cards without coming off as "product geared toward wannabes and snobs".

1. Buy the card for $400 and we will load $450 on it. (Not a bad deal for serious road travelers with a caffeine addiction.)
2. Get even more perks then the Gold members with this card (bring back the free soy/syrups, earn free drinks even faster).
3. Buy the card for $400 and we will donate $100 to rain-forest protection initiatives.

Lara Amber