[AnotherGoodName]

Ooooh do the one where hitting ‘payment’ on the app buys $25 of store credit by default rather than just paying and deducts the 9.64 from that credit.

Then when you spend down the credit to $2 any attempt to buy something that costs more refills the credit.

Starbucks app btw. You have to specifically pay with card on the payment screen to avoid buying credit and paying as above.

[ipnon]

This is called a float business in finance. Starbucks has more than a billion dollars in unredeemed balances, and they make ~$200 million per year in interest with this cash. They're basically a bank with a coffee shop side hustle.

[hakfoo]

How are they getting 20% on a deposit that presumably could be called up at any time, and how can I get in on it when the stupid "High Yield" accounts I can find top out at around 4%?

[deathanatos]

A quick Google suggests in 2016 it was $1.17B, and earned $21M, or 1.79%.

(via https://www.amminvest.com/starbucks-sbux-float/ )

[gcau]

If they're intentionally causing the customer to have an unspendable balance, knowing that it's making them $200m/yr, how is that not fraud (or some kind of crime)? I'd expect atleast CA would do something about it.

[nayuki]

Toronto Parking Authority is guilty of this. If you pay at a terminal on the street, then you're charged the exact amount needed for your parking session. If you pay using the mobile app, then it charges your credit card in increments of $20, requires your mobile phone number as an account identifier, and keeps track of your remaining monetary balance.

[BolsunBacset]

The only saving grace here is that it goes to the municipality at least

[appplication]

This is how a lot of transit cards work, unfortunately.

[consp]

Most of those (used to) work offline too, as long as there was money on the card. Not something an online payment system or app needs to deal with.

[chii]

if i recall, in singapore, the transit card costs are refundable.

I think that's the only place i've seen it refundable.

[reactordev]

I've been trapped for 15 years!

[MarceliusK]

At minimum, the default should be "pay exact amount"

[disillusioned]

Einstein's Bagels does this asinine shit, too, like I want to bank with a fucking mediocre bagel joint.

[gib444]

That is wild