The new loyalty program at Starbucks has caused friction among the coffee chain's dedicated fan base. As someone who is in danger of letting their Gold Card fall to the wayside, I wanted to find out how to make the most of the new points system. My old way of maximizing the system was to rack up stars by splitting up transactions if it was a multi-drink or food order. I would take all my friends out for coffee, much to their glee and keep my Gold card status symbol intact, Starbucks' premier status for frequent customers. Now with the new program, this wouldn't have to be the case.
The main takeaway from the new rewards program is that customers now earn 2 stars for every dollar you spend instead of gaining a star per visit. Gold status can be reached after accumulating 300 stars versus 30 stars. Free rewards that used to occur after every 12 stars now occur after every 125 stars. Lastly, you can gain stars for items bought outside of Starbucks stores such as their coffee products sold in grocery stores, but you can only redeem 2 purchases a day.
These new changes benefit those that go to Starbucks every day and spend more than the average person gunning for a tall frappuccino at 3 p.m. Now that the system is based on dollar amount you can splurge for that venti latte and get the most points for your buck. Many consumers are not happy about the change, claiming that they have to spend more to get rewards. Nonetheless, these reward programs cater to consumers who spend the big bucks, so don't forget to size up and order away.
