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Certainly, I get something out of it--a faster transaction (if the scanner is working correctly) and a free cup of coffee after I buy 12. The math says I'm getting a 7.7% discount for advancing the funds and surrendering information about my buying habits. But Starbucks is getting the better deal. "Your physical presence and your transactional behavior is worth the cost of the 13th coffee to them," says Nick Holland, senior industry analyst for Javelin Strategy & Research, who follows payment systems.
Consumer information is a currency in its own right, says Holland, even though we're not the ones who get to spend it. A stored-value card allows companies to establish an alternative banking network and mine its information. In fact, expect to see merchants collaborating to form their own nonbank networks around stored-value cards, the better to capture your disposable income. And apps like Lemon are evolving to allow people to aggregate credit, debit, loyalty and stored-value accounts in one electronic wallet.
That still doesn't remove the issue of having to advance money to big companies to get the best service. I'm certainly not going to be earning much interest on that $250 floating around out there if I put it in a savings account. But at least it's still my money. At least it was.