Delta changes Starbucks-SkyMiles earnings again, bringing back 1 mile per dollar spent
Earning Delta Air Lines miles at Starbucks is about to get simpler — just like it used to be.
Delta on Monday announced it's shaking up its partnership with the coffee giant.
Beginning on Aug. 5, SkyMiles members will earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all purchases at participating Starbucks locations.
So if you spend $5 on a latte, you'll get 5 miles.
That setup is a lot more straightforward than the current Delta-Starbucks formula, which has been in place for about two years.
And it marks a return to how the airline awarded miles on Starbucks visits back when the two companies first launched their partnership in 2022.
Read more: Starbucks Rewards (re)introduces elite status tiers
Outgoing Delta-Starbucks miles policy
At the moment, you have to spend at least $25 on a Starbucks card reload to get any Delta miles. From there, the number of miles you'll earn per dollar depends on hitting certain spend amounts:
| Spend at Starbucks | SkyMiles earned |
|---|---|
$24.99 or less | 0 miles |
$25 to $49.99 | 25 miles |
$50 to $74.99 | 75 miles |
$75 to $99.99 | 125 miles |
$100 or more | 200 miles |
The current earning chart will be in place through Aug. 4, 2026.
New (old) setup: Fewer rules to know
Starting Aug. 5, 2026, an $8 purchase at Starbucks will get you 8 miles. A $70 purchase will get you 70 miles, and so on.
And that's on top of whatever miles you'd earn by charging your purchase to a rewards credit card.
How does this impact reloaded funds?
Delta confirmed to TPG that adding money to your Starbucks card on (or after) Aug. 5 will not trigger any earnings under this new model. Instead, it's the purchase using those funds that will earn you SkyMiles.
For example, let's say you want to use a dining credit on one of your credit cards, so you reload $25 sometime after Aug. 5, 2026. That action won't earn you any miles. However, the purchases you make using those funds will.
This also applies to any existing balances in your Starbucks account. As of Aug. 5, you can earn 1 mile per $1 spent when you use those funds for Starbucks purchases.
Double stars remain in place
One thing that's not changing? Double stars on Delta travel days.
If you have a linked SkyMiles account, you'll earn 2 stars per $1 spent on Starbucks purchases on days where you have a Delta flight booked.
Read more: How to redeem your Delta SkyMiles for maximum value
What this means for Delta SkyMiles members
I imagine this change will be welcome news for many Delta flyers who have tapped into the airline's tie-up with Starbucks.
The original (and future) 1 mile per $1 spent formula was easy to remember, and rewarded even the small purchases — the coffee here, the frappuccino there.
Once Aug. 5 rolls around, SkyMiles members won't have to remember to reload their virtual Starbucks cards in at least $25 increments; any transaction will work just as well for earning toward your next flight.
In announcing the news, the companies billed it as "bringing back a fan-favorite way for members to turn their Starbucks runs into future travel."
Does anyone lose?
Only the most avid Starbucks visitors will find this news disappointing.
If you regularly refilled your card with at least $75, you were earning more than 1 mile per $1 spent on those purchases.
Now, all eligible purchases will be 1 mile per $1.
How to link your Delta SkyMiles and Starbucks accounts
You can link your Delta and Starbucks accounts at deltastarbucks.com.
You'll earn miles right away on coffee shop visits, but note that you'll stop earning miles if you don't take a Delta flight within 12 months of linking your account.
Massive partnership
The Delta-Starbucks tie-up has ballooned in membership in recent years.
4 million Delta customers have linked their SkyMiles accounts to Starbucks, the Atlanta-based airline shared this spring.
We should note, Delta's partnership with Starbucks goes beyond the loyalty program; you'll also find Starbucks coffee in its Sky Clubs and on board its planes.
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