Giant coffee company Starbucks has responded to a CTV investigation into the security of its gift cards. Representatives of the company say people should register the cards on their web site.
We definitely want our customers to have a good experience with mobile payment. We take security seriously and we offer balance protection for registered customers. Customer can register cards here: https://www.starbucks.com/card#0. If their smartphone with Starbucks App or Starbucks Card is lost or stolen, they can visit https://www.starbucks.com/card and log into the account, then click on the Report Lost / Stolen tab. Or, call 1-800-STARBUC (782-7282) and report the loss. We'll freeze the remaining balance at the time the Card is reported as lost or stolen, transfer it to a new Starbucks Card, and mail a replacement Card immediately – without hassles or fees. To increase security, customers are also encouraged to password protect their smartphone and also use the password protection feature on the Starbucks App.
Online security expert Ian Gordon says technology is starting to outpace security and warns people to be wary.
Gordon registered his Starbucks gift card but when he and CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr used a website to generate a barcode, registration didn't prevent potential theft.
The duplicate was still just as good as the original card.
Ottawa resident Chris Ewing who alerted us of the potential problem believes gift cards from other companies can be compromised as well.
Ewing's advice to consumers is to purchase gift cards with a magnetic stripe because ones with a barcode are too easy to replicate.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr
