It’s All About Those Stars
If you regularly treat yourself to a tall white chocolate mocha or a caramel macchiato every now and then from Starbucks, then more than likely you are using their rewards program to gather up stars in exchange for perks.
And being a Starbucks regular, you know that the coffee chain’s Rewards Program is an easy way to reap benefits. With the current system, Gold members can claim a free drink or food item for every 125 stars earned.
But starting April 16, Starbucks is tweaking the system to benefit less frequent customers, meaning no Gold status will be needed to earn rewards. Instead, all members can earn rewards, and the rewards themselves will be tiered.
As of right now, for every $1 spent, customers that are signed up as rewards members earn two stars. If you reach between 0 and 299 stars in a given year, you’re in the green level. Anything 300 stars and up, you’re a gold member.
At that point, you’ll start earning a free reward for every 125 stars you earn. Stars can be redeemed for any drink or food, including baked goods, packaged foods, and hot items. Green and gold level members also get free in-store refills and a birthday reward.
But starting April 16, everyone with an account will be eligible to earn rewards as they go, regardless of status.
Instead of waiting to get to 125 stars to cash in a reward, members can redeem smaller amounts of stars for cheaper buys — for example, 25 stars gets you an extra espresso shot or dairy substitute, while 50 stars can be used toward brewed hot coffee, hot tea, or select bakery items. More expensive items will of course require customers to rack up more stars.
By: Maytinee Kramer
