Starbucks is changing its reward system next year – and many people on the internet are furious about it.
The coffee giant recently announced that starting on February 13, 2023, Starbucks rewards members will have to spend even more stars to get free items – and the news has not gone over well with many of its customers.
Members earn stars by purchasing any Starbucks drinks, food or merchandise – you get one star per dollar spent if you use cash or card at the register, and two stars per dollar spent if you use a preloaded Starbucks card.
If you build up enough stars you can get an array of free stuff, but beginning in February of next year, you will have to save a lot more stars before you can cash them in for complimentary food and drinks.
No thanks: Starbucks is changing its reward system next year – and many people on the internet are furious about it
The coffee giant announced that starting on February 13, 2023, Starbucks rewards members will have to spend even more stars to get free items – and the news has not gone over well
A Starbucks barista recently spoke out about the upcoming changes on TikTok, and her video sparked fierce fury from viewers – who called the company ‘greedy’ and said it was a ‘scam’
Per a press release, things that used to cost 50 stars – like a hot or iced brewed coffee, hot or iced steeped tea, bakery items such as a cake pop or cookie, or packaged snacks such as popcorn or potato chips – will now cost double the amount of stars.
Stuff that cost 150 stars – which includes any handcrafted beverage or any hot breakfast item – are going to now take 200 stars.
And items that required 200 stars before – such as packaged salads or lunch sandwiches – will now cost a whopping 300 stars.
Four hundred stars will still earn you a merchandise item – but now, it has to costs less than $20.
A Starbucks barista recently spoke out about the upcoming changes on TikTok, and her video sparked fierce fury from viewers – who called the company ‘greedy’ and said it was a ‘scam.’
‘PSA: Starbucks is changing their rewards system. What used to be 50 stars will now be 100 stars,’ the employee, named Sally, said in the video.
‘Anything that was 150 is now 200, and anything that was 200 is now 300. [The 400 option] is staying the same. You have until February 13 with the old reward system.’
People quickly flooded the comment section voicing their anger over the changes.
‘Starbucks is such a scam,’ one disgruntled user wrote.
‘They’re the only place where your stars/points expire. Everywhere else you can have them for a long time.
‘[The rewards] was the main reason I came there, it’s already eight dollars for a cup of coffee and now this? Wow,’ another outraged customer said.
‘Starbs stays letting us down,’ someone else agreed, while a fourth raged: ‘As if their point system wasn’t already useless.’
Things that used to cost 50 stars will now cost double. Stuff that cost 150 stars are going to now cost 200 stars. And items that required 200 stars before will now cost 300 stars
Not having it: People quickly flooded the comment section voicing their anger over the changes
‘How much more money do they need?’ a different person asked.
Some even announced that they’d no longer be visiting the coffee chain, while others shared their frustration with Starbucks’ high prices.
‘Can’t go into Starbucks [and spend] under $6 on most drinks anymore and now they’re gonna raise all their star thresholds?’ another comment read.
‘I’m out, I only justified it ’cause of my free bagel every other visit,’ someone else said.
‘Literally, I will never go again to Starbucks once it changes. It’s just not worth it,’ a different user wrote.
Another angered viewer commented: ‘Starbucks has gotten way too greedy. Their prices are unreasonably high, they purposely understaff, keep ruining their rewards system… SMH.’
‘I have to spend $200 to get a free drink… Why even have rewards?’ someone else quipped.
‘I’m done with Starbucks,’ another person stated. ‘I stopped going [because] I used to pay $4.75 for a venti and now it’s $8.’
Some even announced that they’d no longer be visiting the coffee chain, while others shared their frustration with Starbucks’ high prices
More TikTokers, like the one seen above, posted videos bashing the company over the upcoming changes
‘Cashing out on my stars and moving to Dunkin,’ a separate commenter announced.
Starbucks has raised its prices multiple times in recent months.
Across 2022, the brand’s costs have increased by $0.30 – $0.70 per item compared to 2021, according to The Krazy Coupon Lady.
The blogger reported in September that a medium – or grande – cup of brewed coffee cost her $2.95, which is 20 per cent higher than it was last year.
Starbucks also recently changed its tipping policy earlier this month, which resulted in the company facing even more backlash.
The new system asked customers paying with card if they wanted to leave the barista a tip, and many were not a fan of it.
Social media users bashed Starbucks for asking customers to give even more money on top of paying for their ‘ridiculously expensive products’ instead of just increasing employee salaries.
Even workers at the chain said they didn’t like the new system because it made them feel ‘awkward’ over having to ask the customer if they wanted to leave a tip.
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