Starbucks announces changes in rewards program, requiring more stars for free drinks

Starbucks is starting the new year with big changes to its rewards program. Then again, some customers may not find this as good news because starting in February. The coffee chain will now require more stars to claim their freebies, including coffee and sandwiches.

There will still be drinks that only require fewer stars, but most will need more. As per KTLA News, customers who signed up for Starbucks’ loyalty program usually earn “stars”, which basically refers to points when making purchases.

These stars are also obtained when participating in various marketing promotions. As a reward, customers can redeem their free food or drinks based on the number of stars they have collected. Other benefits are also enjoyed by the members if they have points in their accounts.

However, the coffee chain is changing the rules a bit, and customers may now need to collect more stars to get their freebies. For instance, sandwiches, tea, and coffee that used to require just 50 stars will now need 100 stars to be redeemed.

For lattes, breakfast items, and cold brews, they will go from 150 to 200 stars while salads and some baked goods will increase from 200 to 300 stars. Despite these changes, there will still be items that will be less expensive.

“Today we let our Starbucks Rewards members in the U.S. and Canada know about some changes coming to the Starbucks Rewards program,” Starbucks’ brand communications director, Erin Shane Riley, told Nexstar Media this week. “Starting on February 13, 2023, we’re updating how many Stars will be needed to redeem for select Starbucks Rewards in the U.S. and Canada.”

Additionally, some items are moving to other tiers which will make them easier to earn. In this change, iced coffee and iced tea are now under the 100 stars category when they used to be in the 150 stars lineup. From 400 to 300 stars, the packaged coffee now costs less.

Merchandise items’ star requirements have also changed, but other key Starbucks Rewards benefits will remain the same. The 25 Star and 400 Star tier levels will be intact as well. Lastly, the company is not altering how Starbucks loyalty rewards members earn stars.

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