Do you love Starbucks? Can’t start the morning without your grande extra-shot skinny cinnamon dolce latte? (Okay, I admit – that’s my drink.) Then you should totally be a member of My Starbucks Rewards, the program that gives you a little something back on all those coffees you’ve been buying.
Here’s how it works: Sign up at My Starbucks Rewards and register a Starbucks gift card on their website. (It can be in any amount – if you’re not a big Starbucks customer, just get one for $5 somewhere.) Be sure to enter your birthdate, because they’ll send you a postcard around your birthday for a free drink. Each time you buy a drink from Starbucks with your registered card, you get a star. (Even the tall coffees, which are just $1.50, count as a drink.) Collect five stars and you become a Green level member. Green level members get free syrups and add-ons like soy milk in their drinks. They also get free refills on brewed coffees and teas (during the same visit). Finally, when you buy a pound of coffee from Starbucks, you’ll get a free 12-oz drink, too.
When you collect 30 stars, you become a Gold level member, which means that you’ll receive a free drink for every 15 that you buy with your registered card. Gold members also receive periodic coupons in the mail for freebies. In December, I received a coupon for a free holiday dessert, and a couple of weeks ago, I got one for a free Perfect Oatmeal.
Here’s a couple of tips that I learned:
Break up your transaction. If you buy two drinks in the same transaction with your registered card, you’ll only receive 1 star. Ask the cashier to ring your drinks separately, so you can get all the stars you have coming to you.
Use their mobile app. I linked my registered card to the Starbucks Mobile Card app on my iPhone, which allows me to easily track my stars. I can also refill my card with the touch of a button. I can’t tell you how many times I have refilled it while waiting in the drive-thru!
What are you waiting for? Sign up today and let the rewards begin.
