RBC Royal Bank (RY: TSX, NYSE) and Starbucks Coffee Company have introduced a new hybrid card that blends an RBC Visa card with the re-loadable Starbucks Card. Starbucks Duetto(xx) Visa(x) Card - the first of its kind in Canada - offers coffee- loving consumers the ability to pay, reload, earn and redeem rewards with one card.

The Starbucks Duetto Visa Card rolls the popular Starbucks Card and RBC Visa card into one. When cardholders use the Visa account of their Duetto(xx) Card, they earn one per cent of their purchase back in "Duetto(xx) Dollars" which are loaded into a Duetto Dollars account at the end of each billing cycle. Duetto Dollars can then be used for purchases at Starbucks, including beverages, food and store merchandise. Using the Duetto Dollars account in Starbucks stores also qualifies cardholders to earn additional rewards. New cardholders also receive a one-time pre-load of $10 to their Starbucks Card account after their first Duetto Card Visa purchase, and qualify for quarterly gifts and benefits.

"Today, more and more consumers want to be rewarded for their loyalty," said Dave McKay, RBC's senior vice-president, credit cards and financing products in Canada. "The Starbucks Duetto Visa Card makes this possible for RBC card holders and Starbucks regulars. It is a great example of three leading brands developing a way to give people more opportunities for rewards."

In keeping with Starbucks' long-standing commitment to social responsibility, the company will also contribute five dollars to Frontier College for adult and youth literacy after the first Visa purchase made on each new Starbucks Duetto Visa Card. Frontier College, a national volunteer-based literacy organization, will use donations made by Starbucks during the launch of Starbucks Duetto Visa Card to fund summer writing camps for youth in communities across the country.

"Starbucks Duetto Visa Card combines a credit card with an innovative rewards program, and it's a great way for us to thank our loyal customers," says Colin Moore, president, Starbucks Coffee Canada. "By using your credit card for regular purchases, you could treat yourself to your favourite Starbucks beverage time and time again at no cost."

Features of Starbucks Duetto Visa Card include:

- RBC Visa credit card and Starbucks Card on a single dual purpose card. - One per cent in Starbucks Duetto Dollars on all Duetto Visa Card purchases wherever Visa credit cards are accepted. - No annual fee. - A one-time pre-load of $10 to the Starbucks Card account after the first Duetto card Visa purchase. - A one-time donation of $5 to Frontier College to support adult literacy programs after the first Duetto Visa Card purchase. - Earn three per cent in Duetto Dollars with each automatic reload of the Starbucks Card account from the Visa account of the Duetto Card. The auto-reload feature, which can be done online at http://www.starbucks.com/, allows cardmembers to automatically load cash value from their Duetto Visa account to their Starbucks Card account whenever they like. - Each quarter, cardholders will earn extra Duetto Dollars based on the spend level of their Duetto Dollar account. This program allows cardholders to earn up to 10 per cent back on all expenditures made inside Starbucks stores.

"Having one multipurpose card is going to make it easier and more convenient to pick up that morning coffee or afternoon beverage, and it's also going to change the way we use the plastic in our wallets," added McKay. "For people who love their Starbucks, this is a great way to pay and reap rewards."

Consumers may apply for the Starbucks Duetto Visa Card at http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/duetto or by visiting an RBC branch or any Canadian Starbucks retail store.

About RBC Financial Group

Royal Bank of Canada (TSX, NYSE: RY) uses the initials RBC as a prefix for its businesses and operating subsidiaries, which operate under the master brand name of RBC Financial Group. Royal Bank of Canada is Canada's largest bank as measured by assets, and is one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies. It provides personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking, and transaction processing services on a global basis. The company employs approximately 60,000 people who serve more than 12 million personal, business and public sector clients through offices in North America and some 30 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.rbc.com/.

About Starbucks Coffee Company

Starbucks Coffee Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of Starbucks Coffee Company, the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. Starbucks was founded in Seattle in 1971 and its first Canadian location opened in Vancouver in 1987. Today it has nearly 9,000 retail locations in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific Rim. The Company is committed to offering the highest quality coffee and the Starbucks Experience while conducting its business in ways that produce social, environmental and economic benefits for communities in which it does business. In addition to its retail operations in Canada, the Company produces and sells bottled Frappuccino(R) coffee drinks through a joint venture partnership with Pepsi. The Company's brand portfolio provides a wide variety of consumer products. Tazo Tea's line of innovative premium teas and Hear Music's exceptional compact discs enhance the Starbucks Experience through best-of-class products. The Seattle's Best Coffee(R) and Torrefazione Italia(R) Coffee brands enable Starbucks to appeal to a broader consumer base by offering an alternative variety of coffee flavour profiles.

Media contact: For RBC: Sarah Pendrith, RBC, (416) 974-8260 For Starbucks: Simone Abt, Grey Worldwide PR, 604 484 3272 or 604 512 8714

Media may find more information about the Starbucks card Duetto Visa, including downloadable card art at http://www.rbc.com/newsroom.

(xx) Trademark or registered trademark of Starbucks Coffee Company. (x) Visa Int./Starbucks Coffee Company and Royal Bank of Canada, Lic. Users.

Starbucks Coffee Company; RBC Financial Group
CONTACT: Media contact: For RBC: Sarah Pendrith, RBC, (416) 974-8260;
For Starbucks: Simone Abt, Grey Worldwide PR, (604) 484-3272, or
(604) 512-8714; Media may find more information about the Starbucks card
Duetto Visa, including downloadable card art at http://www.rbc.com/newsroom.