(Update: 4-16-2008 - the balance is back on my Starbucks Duetto card and things appear back to normal after a nearly 2 full day outage for Duetto cardholders.) If you’ve tried to use your Starbucks Duetto (that’s the combo VISA/ Starbucks card) since yesterday afternoon you may have noticed the “Starbucks Rewards Side” being rejected. I was in the Glastonbury Starbucks yesterday afternoon clearing out some emails and the cashier wasn’t able to process my order via my Duetto card.

Then I awoke to this message :

A quick call to the Starbucks 800 number (and 30 minutes on hold) confirmed that Starbucks is having a nationwide problem with the Starbucks portion of the Duetto Visa cards.

Note: According to Starbucks this issue ONLY involves the Starbucks portion of your Duetto card. For those unfamiliar with the card, here’s the description from their site:

Duetto™ Dollars Every time you use the Duetto Card to make a Visa purchase, you’ll earn 1% back in Starbucks Duetto Dollars. Each month, Duetto Dollars load directly into the Starbucks Card Account of your Duetto Card so there’s no waiting for certificates and no huge point totals to accumulate. A few Duetto Dollars in your pocket and that next trip to Starbucks could be on us.

Update - 4/15/2008 - 9:15pm EST - the message below just popped into my email inbox

Link: Starbucks Duetto Card

Link: Can’t get enough Starbucks news? - check out Starbucks Gossip Site