- Starbucks is making changes to its beloved Starbucks Rewards program.
- Many items, like free coffee, lattes, and sandwiches, will soon require more stars.
- Customers will still get one star for $1 or two stars for $1 on a preloaded card.
Starbucks is making changes to its hugely popular Starbucks Rewards program, increasing the number of points required to redeem many menu items.
Customers who sign up for the chain’s Starbucks Rewards program earn points – or “stars” – when purchasing food or drinks, which can then be redeemed for free menu items, such as coffee. A system update is rolling out in February that changes the star rating required for most redemption options, a leaked internal memo seen by Insider reveals. Insider reviewed the memo from two different sources.
Free hot coffee, tea, or baked goods will now require 100 stars, which is double the previous price of 50 stars. But Iced Coffee and Iced Tea will also be available at this tier, meaning customers will now be able to get these free drinks for just 100 Stars, down from the current 150 Stars. Packaged snacks, Swiss ham and croissants, and take-out plastic cups will also be available at the 100-star level.
Cold brews, lattes, and all other “craft drinks”, as well as hot breakfast items like sandwiches, which previously required 150 stars to redeem, will now require 200 stars, while 300 stars can be redeemed for lunch dishes like sandwiches and salads, up from 200 stars previously. Also at level 300, there is a new option to redeem stars for packaged coffee.
The top tier of 400 stars, for goods like cups, remains unchanged – and for 25 stars, customers will still be able to add an espresso, syrup or alternative milk to a drink, as in the previous system.
The way customers acquire stars also won’t change, the memo says. Rewards members will still receive one star for every dollar spent at Starbucks, or two stars for every dollar spent using a preloaded digital or physical Starbucks Card.
The updated rewards system is scheduled to go live on February 13, and the changes are being made to “ensure the health of the program and meet the changing needs of our customers,” the memo states.
A Starbucks spokesperson declined to comment to Insider on the memo or the changes it describes.
Starbucks has one of most successful rewards memberships in the fast food sector. The program has 28.7 million members starting this quarter, a year-over-year increase of 16%. Rewards members accounted for more than half of Starbucks sales last quarter.
Starbucks Rewards members tend to have very strong feelings about the program and any potential changes. When the the latest coffee chain has made major changes On the agenda in 2019, customers took to social media to voice their grievances. At that time Starbucks changed how many stars were needed for some free food and drink. The rewards program has gained over 10 million members since then, so even more people could be affected this time around.
Other quick service chains have recently made it more expensive for customers to earn rewards. Chipotle increased the number of points rewards needed members for a 16% free burrito, and Dunkin’ has redesigned its entire rewards systemmore than doubling the amount of spending required for drinks like a free latte.
Do you have a story to share about a chain of stores or restaurants? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.
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