Starbucks tweak rewards programme

Popular coffee shop Starbucks has announced today that they have a new rewards programme which will now give customer even better rewards. The launch is part of a wider digital transformation which is already underway, as customers look for increasingly personalised, convenient and contactless retail experiences.

Starbucks Rewards have always been about appreciating and rewarding the most loyal customers and the improvement of the current programme will now reward members for how much they spend rather than how often they visit. The change will make it even easier for members to earn free drinks fast, with the average member now able to save five weeks to get their next free drink.

Members will now get three Stars for every £1 spent in-store and every penny counts towards Rewards when they spend on beverages, food, coffee at home products or merchandise in participating stores. Members with 150 Stars can redeem a free barista-prepared drink of their choice and those who earn 450 Stars over a year reach Gold level status.

When the programme goes live, current members of Starbucks Rewards will receive a prompt to update both the Starbucks UK App and their password.

The Starbucks UK App is available to download from the App Store for iPhone and Android devices, with Mobile Order & Pay available in the majority of UK stores.

To find your nearest Starbucks and make the most of the new rewards scheme, we’ve popped the store locator here for you. You’ll also find opening and closing time information listed there as well.

Existing members will not lose any Stars or previously earned benefits. Any free drink Rewards earned will be automatically converted to the equivalent value in Stars and current Star balances will be transferred and multiplied by ten to reflect the update. Members may have to wait up to two weeks before they see these changes made within their account. Current Gold members will maintain this level while all other members will be given an additional 12 months from the date of launch to qualify for Gold.

All members will continue to enjoy First Tastes of seasonal beverages, including Holiday favourites, before anyone else and will enjoy increased flexibility to redeem or bank their Stars. They will also receive exclusive offers personalised to them, including more ways to earn bonus Stars throughout the year.

Gold level members will continue to enjoy pre-existing exclusive benefits, such as free extra espresso shots, syrups and whipped cream, plus they will now also receive a free drink of their choice during their birthday month. Wahoo.