14 Easy Ways to Get Free Starbucks
Some mornings all you want is to run into Starbucks and grab a quick cup of coffee to get started with your day. Or sometimes you get a hankering for a refreshing cold drink to cool you down.
But being frugal-minded, you don’t want to keep paying every time that happens. So how to you get free Starbucks drinks?
Read on to find out 14 of the best ways to enjoy your drinks without paying more than you have to.
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I’m not affiliated with Starbucks in any way. I just like their drinks!
Coffee Math
I used to love going to Starbucks for a few hours after my day job to work on my personal projects. I would get a soy hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and some sort of a pastry, usually the cheese danish. Just thinking about that combination sounds heavenly!
I’d get them at least once a week. I didn’t think much about the dollars and cents adding up.
Hot chocolate with soy: $4.15
Cheese Danish: $2.95
Total of $7.10 x 52 weeks = $369.20
While $369.20 may not seem like a lot, it’s a lot to spend on casual snacks in addition to all other food spending like groceries and meals out during the year.
The Latte Factor
You’ve probably heard of The Latte Factor – the idea that spending a few dollars on small things like coffee repeatedly adds up and causes you to miss out on growing wealth faster.
But let’s face it, no one likes to be told to cut out their drinks. Why can’t people have both?
That’s why I don’t promote just saving money, but actually making more money so that you can do what you want like have a Starbucks drink when you want one.
So how do you get free Starbucks?
1 | Sign up for the Starbucks Rewards Program
Starbucks Rewards Program members are eligible for so many benefits including some of those below. It’s easy and free to join on the Starbucks website by providing your email address.
Once you earn those Stars, start using them because they expire 6 months after the calendar month in which they were earned.
What can you earn with the Starbucks Rewards Program?
25 points - customize your drink (espresso shot, dairy substitute, syrup and more)
50 points - brewed hot coffee, bakery item or hot tea
150 points - handcrafted drink, hot breakfast or parfait
200 points - protein box or sandwich
400 points - select merchandise or at-home coffee
2 | Join Swagbucks for free Starbucks
Don’t Swagbucks and Starbucks sound good together?
Swagbucks is a free rewards website where you can earn great prizes for doing simple tasks. You can earn free Starbucks gift cards.
Earn prizes by watching videos, answering surveys, searching the web, play games, and other easy activities. You can redeem your points for prizes like free gift cards.
You might be worried about if such as site is a scam, but I can tell you that Swagbucks is legitimate.
I’ve been a member of Swagbucks for years. I go on it when I have time, earn points, and then redeem gift cards. They make good treats for me and nice gifts for friends and family.
It’s quick to earn points too. I’ve earned gift cards in less than a month with casual time and effort on the site.
Swagbucks also offers gift cards to many other retailers. You’re bound to find one you use. Check them all out here.
You can earn gift cards to Amazon, Target, and other stores too. Check out the full list at Swagbucks and get started earning them today!
Two examples of Starbucks gift cards on Swagbucks. They’re sometimes on sale for fewer points.
3 | Get free refills
You have to be a Starbucks Rewards member to take advantage of this perk and make use of the Starbucks App or your Starbucks Card.
You can receive free refills of hot or ice brewed coffee or tea during the same store visit. If you leave the store or go to a different store, that doesn’t count and you’ll have to purchase a new drink.
You have to scan your member barcode in the App before purchasing your beverage and then again when you request a refill. Or pay with your Starbucks card and scan it again when you request a refill.
4 | Get a free birthday drink
Woohoo, more to celebrate! You do have to be a Starbucks Reward Program member to take advantage of the free drink on your birthday.
On your birthday, you can receive a handcrafted beverage or a food item or a ready-to-drink bottled beverage.
Be sure to join the reward program at least 7 days prior to your birthday, provide your birthdate, and make at least one Star-earning transaction prior to your birthday each year. That’s not too hard, right?
But if you can’t make it to a Starbucks on your birthday, contact Starbucks customer service and see if they’ll extend the offer. I’ve heard of this happening. Then you can enjoy your Starbucks drink more at your leisure.
5 | Download the Starbucks app
Download the Starbucks mobile app and check the Rewards section frequently to ensure you don’t miss out on specials and promotions.
When you are a Starbucks Rewards member, you may receive special bonuses and promotions like early or extended access to special menu items and discounts on your purchases. You have to use the App or pay with your Starbucks Card to get these.
The other nice thing about the app is perks like ordering ahead and paying by phone making your coffee run even faster.
6 | Look for promotions
Starbucks offers lots of promotions to earn you more points and items. Don’t worry if you miss one. Another one will come along shortly.
Spring coupon – An example of this is the Spring coupon offer earlier this year. On 3/4/21, if you ordered ahead a grande or larger handcrafted drink via mobile, you’d get a coupon for a free drink redeemable 3/10 – 3/12
Buy-one-get-one – This is one of my favorite promotions anywhere. During the Starbucks Happy Hour, you buy one drink and get one free. Make sure you’re on the app so that you can see when the next Happy Hour will take place.
There are many more promotions past and to come. A few from the past year:
Free coffee for healthcare workers
Offering $10 to Uber Eats users
Purchasing a $20 eGift card for $10 using a Mastercard
Bonus Stars – You can receive bonus stars (more stars) through member-exclusive offers such as making a purchase of a specific item or making purchases two days in a row…
Double Star Days – On these days you can collect double the number of Stars, so 4 Stars for every $1 spent when you use your Starbucks Card and 2 Stars for every $1 spent when paying with cash, credit card, debit card, or mobile wallets. Starbucks plans to have several Double Star Days every year.
7 | Bring your own cup
This idea was introduced to reduce waste with the additional benefit of receiving $0.10 off your purchase each time you use your own cup.
While $0.10 is not much, the dimes add up for doing little more than bringing your own cup and helping reduce waste. Ten cents saved a day will buy you a free coffee at the end of each month.
This was stopped during the Covid pandemic among concerns that it could spread the virus.
As of this writing, some Starbucks outside the US are reintroducing the idea of bringing your own cup. Check with your local Starbucks for the latest information.
8 | Get a Starbucks credit card
With the Starbucks Rewards Visa card, you earn 4,500 Bonus Stars (their reward points) after you spend $500 anywhere in the first 3 months after opening the account. The annual fee is $0 for the first year and then $49 for each year after that.
You can earn up to 3 Stars per $1 spent at Starbucks stores.
Earn 1 Star per $2 spend at certain businesses: grocery stores, on local transit and commuting, and on internet, cable, and phone services.
Earn 2 Star per $4 spent everywhere else.
Once a month free perks are sent to you via email, so you get more free drinks that way too.
This is the offer as of this writing. Be sure to look at the terms of the card before you apply because rewards and fees can change from time to time.
Starbucks credit card promotional information
9 | Play Starbucks games
Starbucks has games from time to time where you can have fun and earn points.
In April 2021, Starbucks introduced its Earth Month Game, which gave Starbucks Rewards members the chance to win more than 2.5 million prizes.
Although it may seem like you need to purchase something to participate in games, you don’t have to. You can enter for free without making a purchase.
10 | Play Starbucks for Life
This fun game can earn you Starbucks for life. It’s not exactly for life, but you earn a daily credit for 30 years for one free food or beverage item.
Even if you don’t win the grand prize, there are plenty of other prizes such as Starbucks for 1 year, 6 months, 3 months, or 1 month, a $500 Starbucks gift card, earbuds, and airline tickets.
This game takes place during the holiday season from December to January. You complete small challenges for a chance to win. It’s a small enjoying price with a great big potential payoff.
11 | Earn points on Starbucks products from the grocery store
Did you know that you can earn points from Starbucks grocery items? How it works:
Shop: Keep your receipt for qualifying Starbucks products where you buy groceries.
Sign in: Sign in to your Starbucks Rewards account and activate Receipt Verification with your email and phone number.
Earn: Earn Stars when you upload a picture(s) of a receipt from your purchase of qualifying products.
View the list of qualifying products.
Grocery products that will earn you Stars
12 | Buy discounted Starbucks gift cards
One of my friends is an absolute pro at this. How it works is that people sell gift cards that they don’t want at a discount, and you purchase them for less than the face value.
A seller might have a gift card for $20. She sells it to a company that buys and sells gift cards for $10. The company resells the gift card for $15.
It’s a win-win for all three parties. The seller earns $10 cash, the company earns $5, and you get $5 free to spend at Starbucks.
Some popular gift card exchange companies:
Gift Card Granny
13 | Order a puppuchino
Okay, so this one isn’t for humans! It’s actually a free “drink” for your dog.
When you order your drink, ask for a puppuchino, which is a small cup of whipped cream. What dog wouldn’t love this treat?
14 | Let it be known you’re a coffee drinker
As I was writing this post, my new co-worker gave me a gift card to Starbucks!
Starbucks is a popular go-to gift for co-workers, acquaintances, and coffee lovers. While you probably shouldn’t ask outright for Starbucks gift cards, you’re bound to receive them in time if people know you like Starbucks drinks.
They see you
Drinking coffee frequently
Walk around with a Starbucks drink in hand
Ask around if anyone wants to go on a break to Starbucks
With Starbucks products on your desk or at home
What are they going to get you when it comes time for a gift? Likely a Starbucks gift card!
There are so many ways to earn free Starbucks food and drinks so you can enjoy yourself while still meeting your money goals.
What’s your favorite way to get free Starbucks drinks?
