Starbucks’ latest change could affect loyalty program members who bring their own cup for baristas to fill.
Starting June 24, the coffee chain will scrap its bonus for customers who bring their personal, reusable cup to stores. Currently, Starbucks Rewards members get 25 stars for bringing their own cup.
Instead, Rewards members who use their own cup will earn double the stars on their entire order. At its most basic Rewards tier, Starbucks Rewards members get one star for every dollar that they spend before sales tax. Members can redeem stars for free food and beverages.
A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed the planned change to Business Insider. The spokesperson confirmed that the company will continue to offer a $0.10 discount as well when customers bring in their reusable cups.
The change means that Starbucks customers who tend to order a single drink when they stop by could earn rewards more slowly under the change. Under the current system, a beverage that normally earns nine stars would earn an extra 25 if a customer brings in their own cup for a total of 34, for example. With the change, the same order would earn 18 stars.
On a Reddit page devoted to Starbucks, one poster said that they were accustomed to getting the bonus on their regular coffee run. “Honestly the 25 stars is what keeps me going back daily,” the post reads. “I love saving my stars for when I go on vacation.”
Customers who order sandwiches or other food items, which tend to cost more than beverages and thus earn more stars, could earn rewards more quickly with the change, meanwhile.
It’s the latest change that Starbucks has made in the last several months.
Since Brian Niccol became CEO in September, Starbucks has made numerous changes at its cafes. The chain has trimmed its menu options, added shifts at some stores, and now asks baristas to leave customers handwritten messages on single-use cups.
Starbucks offers incentives for customers to bring their own reusable cups, including the 25-star bonus and the $0.10 discount, in an effort to cut down on single-use plastics and paper cups. The chain extended the incentives to drive-thru and mobile orders in 2024.
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