top of page
dp thoughts.png

Ideas. Insights. Inspiration.

Starbucks' Curious Policy Changes

Writer's picture: David PullaraDavid Pullara

Starbucks is making two big changes to its Free Refill policy.


And I'm not certain these changes will be a net positive for the business.


Here's what's changing, effective January 27, 2025:


1. You no longer have to be a Starbucks Rewards member to get a free drink refill;


2. To get a free refill, Starbucks Rewards member or not, you must use either the restaurant's "for here ware" or a reusable cup you bring into the restaurant yourself.


A screenshot of an email Starbucks sent to its mailing list outlining upcoming changes to its free refills policy.

I'm not a fan of these two changes.


First, not requiring people to be Starbucks Rewards members to get free refills is one less reason to become a Starbucks Rewards member.


And that's bad for Starbucks. Because if you don't have an incentive to become a Starbucks Rewards member, you probably won't sign up for the program. And if you don't do that, Starbucks can't collect any data on you when you visit: which restaurants you're visiting, how often you're visiting each restaurant, and what you're buying when you visit to name just a few data points that are collected every time Starbucks Rewards members scan their card.


The data Starbucks collects about customers through its Starbucks Rewards loyalty program is a huge business advantage for the company: it helps inform promotions, personalize offers, and ultimately increase sales. Translation: giving people any reason NOT to join the loyalty program is a curious policy change, and while I haven't been a Starbucks shareholder for years, if I were one today I wouldn't be happy about this questionable business decision.


The second reason I don't like this policy change is much more personal: I don't like using "for-here ware" when I visit Starbucks (even if I plan to sit in the cafe and enjoy my beverage) because hot beverages get cold faster without a lid capturing the heat.


Starbucks is supposed to be all about the Starbucks Experience, but from now on, my in-cafe experience will involve cold coffee.


Sure, I can bring along an insulated coffee tumbler when I visit a Starbucks cafe, and if I'm driving to my local Starbucks, I might do that.


But when I'm downtown without my car, carrying around a tumbler as I walk to and from meetings throughout the city is just one extra thing to carry.


And if I wanted to bring a tumbler downtown, I'd make myself a coffee at home, forgoing the need to visit Starbucks at all.


Will this policy change encourage more Starbucks customers to bring reusable cups or use for-here-ware to get their free refills?


Or will it encourage them to start visiting other coffee shops?


Time will tell.


An AI-generated image of a Starbucks barista explaining a new policy to an unhappy customer.

Comments


Commenting has been turned off.

If you liked this post, don't miss the next one: get dpThoughts delivered to your inbox up to three times each week. 

(Or add me to your RSS feed and get every post in your reader as soon as it's published.)

​

Disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate and a member of select other referral programs, I may earn a commission if you click on links found within my blog posts and subsequently make a purchase. The commissions earned are negligible, and while they help fund this website, they do not influence my opinions in any way.

​

​

​

 

   â€‹â€‹© 2024 by David Pullara. All rights reserved.

bottom of page