The Starbucks app 'traps' customers into a 'vicious' spending cycle, consumer advocate says

• Starbucks Cards make it nearly impossible for customers to "zero out" their accounts, a consumer advocate says.
• Customers can only reload money and leave tips in set amounts when they use their Starbucks Cards on the app.
• The Washington Consumer Protection Coalition said it was a "Catch-22" situation.

The Starbucks app traps customers in a cycle where they're "perpetually" adding more money to their accounts because they can't use up their remaining balance, according to a new complaint from a consumer rights group.