On May 12, 2026, our office filed a class action lawsuit against Starbucks. This request seeks a reduction in obligations as well as punitive damages for all consumers who were forced to reload a gift card in order to complete a transaction online or on Starbucks’ mobile application.
Our client’s story
At the end of February 2026, our customer receives a Starbucks gift card.
A few days later, he bought his first drink in a store. After the transaction, he has a balance of $1.32 left. Starbucks refuses to reimburse him for this amount.
On March 7, 2026, he tried to use the balance of his gift card. When it was time to pay, he selected his gift card in the belief that he could deduct his $1.32 from the total and pay the difference of $16.32 with another payment method. However, the app tells him that he is running out of funds and that the only option is to buy a new gift card for a minimum amount of $20 to be able to complete his order. At the end of this transaction, he finds himself with a new residual balance of $3.33 and feels compelled to come back to Starbucks another time to use up his money.
On March 28, 2026, he ordered again on the app to avoid a long wait. The total is $5.12 and he remembers that he has $3.33 in balance. The amount being slightly insufficient, the application once again forces him to reload his card, this time, with a minimum advance of $10.00.
At no time during these purchases was he clearly warned that an insufficient balance would force him to buy new gift cards. Today, our customer is stuck with a balance of $8.21 stuck on the app, perfectly illustrating the endless cycle imposed by Starbucks. He is therefore captive to this system.
The proposed class action
In accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, a business cannot impose an undisclosed excess financial obligation, act abusively, make false or misleading representations, or restrict the use of a prepaid amount.
By forcing restocking, Starbucks is holding its customers hostage in a perpetual cycle of residual sales.
The proposed class
All individuals domiciled in Quebec who, since April 13, 2023, have had to reload a gift card to complete a transaction made on the www.starbucks.ca website or on the Starbucks mobile app.
Applications lodged with the Court
Application for authorization to institute a class action
Current status of the file
Awaiting authorization by a judge of the Superior Court.
How to be part of the class action
If you meet the definition of the class covered by this class action, you are automatically part of the class action. However, we encourage you to register on our form to stay informed.
Contact form
We want to hear from you. To effectively represent the members of this class-action lawsuit, we would like to document your experience.
Notice : Submitting your information via the registration form above does not create an attorney-client relationship and does not commit you to pay any attorney fees.