Starbucks has announced that it is launching a new rewards program that will go live on March 10. The new changes include status tiers. Starbucks moved to a simplified system in 2016 before changing it again in 2019, there has been many devaluations along the way.
New Tiers
The new status tiers are as follows:
- Green (base membership)
- 1 star per $1 spent
- Free mod Mondays (one customized, once per month)
- Early access, personalized offers & games
- Double stars with personal cup
- Bonus stars on reloads of 30+
- Free treat on birthday
- Stars expire after 6 months of no activity
- Gold (requires 500 stars in a year)
- 1.2 stars per $1 spent
- Free mod Mondays (one customized, once per month)
- Early access, personalized offers & games
- Double stars with personal cup
- Bonus stars on reloads of 30+
- Free treat on birthday (7 days to use)
- Stars don’t expire
- Four more double star days
- Reserve (requires 2,500 stars in a year)
- 1.7 stars per $1 spent
- Free mod Mondays (one customized, once per month)
- Early access, personalized offers & games
- Double stars with personal cup
- Bonus stars on reloads of 30+
- Free treat on birthday (30 days to use)
- Stars don’t expire
- Six more double star days
- Personalized reserve card
- Access to merch shop and global coffee experiences
Status is valid for 12 months (I assume this means that you get status for the rest of the calendar year you earned it and then the next full calendar year).
Redeeming Rewards
Points can be redeemed for the following:
- 25 star tier: Drink customized
- 60 star tier: Up to $2 off any item
- 100 star tier: Brewed coffee or tea (hot or iced), bakery items, packaged snacks and more
- 200 star tier: Handcrafted beverage like a latte or cold brew, or hot breakfast items like egg bites or a breakfast sandwich
- 300 star tier: choice between a free sandwich, protein box or packaged coffee
- 400 star tier: can be redeemed for select Starbucks merchandise (up to $20 in value)
Our Verdict
I don’t think Starbucks has ever really found the perfect option for a rewards program considering the scale of the business. Previously customers could earn 2 stars per $1 spent, so this is a devaluation for most people (although you could earn 1.7 base stars with Reserve here, then get another 0.5 stars from reloads and then whatever the personal cup bonus is). Seems fairly complicated for a coffee company.
