Hack Starbucks: 3 Hacks That Get Me Free Coffee Often

Updated January 15,2024

I am an infrequent Starbucks’ consumer.

I was not a coffee drinker when coffee was thought to be unhealthy, and now that coffee is back in (or seems to be), I grab a cup every now and then.

Despite those facts, I manage to get enough free or discounted coffee with the Starbucks’ reward program.

If you are a Starbucks’ regular, I imagine you would get free coffee at Starbucks more frequently than me though.

Here are the hacks that get me 200 Stars (amount needed for free specialty coffee like a latte) quickly as someone who visits Starbucks infrequently.

The program was devalued last year, and requires more stars.

I still get a free or discounted coffee often enough.

I only visit a couole times a month, if that.

The rewards program seems rewarding as an infrequent user with these hacks.

Hack Starbucks: Three Hacks That Get Me Free Or Discounted Coffee At Starbucks

Hack Starbucks Tip #1: Use Gift Cards As Payments

Starbucks gives double points for using a Starbucks’ gift card.

You can buy Starbucks’ gift cards from Raise, and then add them in the Starbucks’ app.

So, for example, if you bought a $10 Starbucks’ gift card and used it for a $10 purchase, you would get 20 Stars instead of the usual 10 Stars (1 Star for each dollar spent).

If you bought your gift card at a gift card site through CashBackMonitor, you would get extra cashback too.

If you buy these at Raise.com, you can buy while waiting in a Starbucks’ drive thru.

They come from the site in seconds.

You can even buy a gift card from Ibotta.

Next, you can get gift cards from sites like Fetch, Receipt Pal, or Swagbucks for free.

You don’t have to add these in the app, you can just scan at Starbucks for your double points.

This morning I earned a free Starbucks’ gift card from Fetch.

I then used the gift card to buy my Starbucks’ latte and get double points.

I then followed a Starbucks’ promotion where you buy 2 drinks on back to back days, and get 50 points.

Starbucks always has promotions.

Look under the offer section on the app or website.

These change every week.

So, tomorrow if I use another free gift card, I will get 50 points for that promotion as well as 20 points for both orders for a total of 70 points.

That was all without spending any money.

You need 200 points for a free specialty beverage like a latte again.

This brings me to my next hack.

Hack Starbucks Tip #2: Check the Starbucks’ App Or Watch For Email Promotions Every Week

Starbucks’ usually runs several promotions each week that expire in days.

These are targeted, so different people get different offers.

Sometimes, the promotions are sent by email too, so be on the lookout.

You can find all promotions on the app under “offers.”

So, after I use another free gift card tomorrow to get another free drink, I earn the following again:

• 50 points for buying coffee two days in a row after 2 p.m.
• 20 points earned for using a gift card (2 x $5=10 Stars, without gift card the two days would have only been 10 points)
• Total: 70 Stars

It takes 200 points to get a specialty drink like a latte again, so if I did another promotion like this next week, I could have a free beverage soon.

Again, I am an infrequent Starbuck’s user again.

Hack Starbucks Tip #3: Look For Double and Triple Star Days As Well As $3 Coffee Days Lately

Starbucks offers double (and lately) triple star days.

These are usually on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

Look out for these days each week.

They occur frequently in the summer.

Remember, using a gift card earns you twice the stars.

So, make sure to purchase a gift card, or reload to your account.

If you purchase from Raise.com, you can get your gift card while you wait in line.

It comes in seconds again.

During the winter, Starbucks offers $3 coffees like lattes.

I have taken advantage of this.

Sometimes, after I make a purchase, they offer me a $3 drink.

This has not happened lately though.

Again, watch for offers by email, or check the app.

What Do You Get For Your Stars Anyway?

After you earn your Stars, what do you get for your effort?

The program was devalued last year, but you can still get something.

Here is a current list of rewards:

• 100 Stars – Brewed regular coffee, ice brewed coffee, packaged snack (popcorn or potato chips), bakery item, or hot tea
• 200 Stars – Specialty drink like latte, hot breakfast, or parfait
• 300 Stars – Protein box or sandwich

Tip: I Use Gift Cards For Free Drinks From Sites Like Fetch, Receipt Pal, etc

Today, I earned a $5 gift card from Fetch, and used it for a Starbucks’ latte.

Again, I got a free drink and 10 Stars without spending money.

I suggest you use receipt scanning apps like Fetch, Receipt Pal, Swagbucks, and Shopkick.

Most of these apps will give you a free gift card every month or so for just scanning your receipts.

So, if you were using three of these apps, you would get 3 free gift cards a month.

I take a picture of the same receipt with each app.

Here are the apps I use to get free gift cards:

• Fetch
• Receipt Pal
• Receipt Hog
• Swagbucks

I make a lot more money from other things with Swagbucks, but it has a section where you can scan a picture of your receipts.

I just scan for Swagbucks when doing the other three apps listed above.

I scan receipts every day, so they are not noticed in my day.

If you let them build up, they take more time.

This can be done during part of a commercial break each day and is not noticed.

At the end of the month, I can treat myself to some free coffee or other things for something I did not notice.

You can get gift cards from Shopkick and Ibotta for Starbucks, but I prefer cash since those apps pay more than the other three apps I mentioned earlier.

I make around $20 a month with Ibotta, and $50 a month with Shopkick.

Again, I prefer PayPal for those two apps since I also use those for bigger goals too.

Summary

As an infrequent Starbucks’ consumer, I get enough free coffee.

First, I get free drinks from using free gift cards from sites like Fetch and Receipt Pal.

Then, because those free drinks give me double points by using a gift card, I eventually get more free drinks from Starbucks.

I am sure you can do better than this if you are a regular Starbucks’ user though.

Use these hacks!

Do you use any of these hacks or other hacks to get more free or discounted coffee at Starbucks?

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