I bet that you have a Starbucks loyalty card – practically everyone I know has one! If you have not heard by now, the coffee giant is making a few changes to its loyalty program. This December, we are supposed to experience some changes, the most noticeable of all will be the melding of the two programs (Starbucks Cards Rewards and Starbucks Gold Card) into one: My Starbucks Rewards.
At this point, you ought to realize that I am talking about the U.S. market here as I think they have different programs in other parts of the world. Anyhow, what will happen with the new rewards program?
One good thing is that there is no annual fee to become part of the program. This is GOOD – who appreciates annual fees anyway? The program also categorizes customers into different levels. Upon getting the card and registering, you will automatically be placed at the Welcome Level. At this level, you get a free birthday drink. When you’ve visited 5 times, you will be promoted to the Green Level. Perks include free brewed coffee refills (YES!), free syrup, and free soy. Additionally, when you buy a pound of whole beans, you get a free tall drink of your choice. You can also get up to 2 free Wi-Fi hours at this level.
You can also aim for gold – just visit Starbucks 30 times in one year (I bet you can do this in a month!). All the abovementioned benefits are included plus a free drink after each 15th purchase.
Looks good to me, although I have to say that I always get a free cup of brewed coffee at Coffee Bean when I buy half a pound of whole beans – and I am not a cardholder at that!
Originally posted on November 3, 2009 @ 8:58 am