Currently, enrollees of the incentive program earn points—or “stars”—when purchasing food and drinks, which can then be redeemed for free menu items. In the new year, the coffee giant’s beloved benefits will reportedly transition, increasing the number of points required to redeem many menu items. News of the upcoming 2023 changes come in order to “ensure the health of the program and meet the evolving needs of our customers,” via a leaked internal memo, according to Insider. Below, we’ve created an easy-to-digest layout of what free items can be redeemed for how many stars in comparison to the program as it stands. 25 stars: Add an espresso shot, syrup, or alternative milk to a drink (unchanged) 100 stars: Hot coffee, tea, or baked goods (up from 50 stars); iced tea or iced coffee (down from 150 stars); some packaged snacks, ham and swiss croissants, and plastic to-go cups 200 stars: Cold brews, lattes, and all other “handcrafted drinks,” along with hot breakfast items like sandwiches (up from 150 stars) 300 stars: Lunch items, like sandwiches and salads (up from 200 stars); packaged coffee (newly-added option) 400 stars: Merchandise, like cups (unchanged) The way customers acquire stars will also remain unchanged, per the memo. Rewards members will still receive one star for every $1 spent at Starbucks, or two stars for every $1 using a pre-loaded digital or physical Starbucks card. The changes will take effect starting February 13 of next year, so hurry to your nearest Starbucks before then if you have a plethora of points you’d rather redeem at current face value! Per the outlet, a Starbucks spokesperson declined to comment about the contents of the memo.
