The New Starbucks Swarovski Crystal Gift Card Will Set You Back $200

Starbucks said Tuesday that it expects gift card sales to hit a record on Christmas Eve as customers scramble for stocking stuffers before the holiday hits.

The cards are so popular all year round that more than a third of all Starbucks transactions in the US and Canada are paid via gift card. Last year, 2.5 million cards were sold just on December 24 in the US and Canada, a half-million more than on the previous Christmas Eve.

The gift card craze apparently goes beyond Starbucks consumers; they are the eighth most requested gift, according to a National Retail Federation survey.

But, the incidents don’t seem to have affected Starbucks gift card sales.

Starbucks boasted that more than five billion dollars was loaded onto their gift cards in a 12 month period.

Overall, the NRF expects $25.9 billion to be spent on gift cards in 2015.

The limited-edition Starbucks Card is covered in deep blue crystals and is part of the 2015 Premium Card Collection.

The cards – in addition to giving indecisive shoppers a break – are vital to Starbucks’ bid for growth. “That said, there is an interesting disconnect between gift givers and gift recipients this year as gift cards still top millions of Americans’ wish lists”. Because affected consumers likely used a credit card to pay for these fraudulent gift cards, their credit card company can likely issue a refund if the fake is caught in time.

Starbucks, possibly in an attempt to revitalize their gift card offerings in the U.S., has unveiled a luxury Swarovski crystal-encrusted gift card.