Starbucks Rewards loyalty program: How to get free drinks, discounts, and a lot more

India is primarily a tea-loving country compared to the West’s love for coffee. However, the coffee culture has grown over the last few years, especially in urban areas. Many domestic and international coffee chains are expanding with new outlets in metros and Tier-1 cities. Among these, Starbucks has taken the lead with 485 outlets in 80 cities in India as of July 2025. It plans to open 1,000 outlets in India by 2028.

Along with various coffee varieties, Starbucks outlets offer a premium experience with food, comfortable seating, free Wi-Fi, music, etc. However, this premium experience comes at a premium cost. A Starbucks coffee (tall size) can cost you upwards of Rs. 350. Any customisations can further increase the cost.

However, you need not worry. You can enjoy your Starbucks coffee at a significantly discounted price with the same Starbucks premium experience with the Starbucks Beverage Subscriptions available to Starbucks Rewards members.

In this article, we will understand what the Starbucks Rewards Program is, its membership tiers and benefits, and how a member can make the most of the program.

What is the Starbucks Rewards Program?

The Starbucks Rewards is a loyalty program that rewards members with stars for their spends at Starbucks outlets or through the Starbucks App. A member can redeem the stars for free coffees. The program has various membership tiers. The more a member spends, the higher the membership tier, and the more benefits they enjoy. The program is lifetime free, i.e., no joining fee or annual renewal fee.

How does the program work?

To participate in the program and enjoy its benefits, an individual must register and become a member. An individual can register on the Starbucks India website or by visiting the nearest Starbucks store. A member can download the Starbucks India App, place orders through it, and enjoy the program benefits.

A member earns stars for all the spends at the Starbucks store or through the Starbucks App. You will earn 1 star for every Rs. 400 spent using the Starbucks Card. A member can load money in their Starbucks Card through a Starbucks Gift Voucher, a Starbucks store, or the Starbucks App using any payment mode (credit/debit card, UPI, wallet, net banking, etc.).

You will earn 1 star for every Rs. 500 spent using other payment modes like cash, credit/debit card, UPI, etc. For spends less than Rs. 400/500, a member earns fractional stars. You will not earn any stars for any Starbucks purchases through third-party websites/Apps or delivery platforms like Swiggy, Zomato, etc.

Membership tiers

A member’s benefits are linked to their membership tier. A member’s tier is linked to the number of stars earned in a year. The three membership tiers are as follows.

Welcome Tier: A new member joins the Welcome Tier and stays there till the stars balance is up to 4.

Green Tier: When a member earns five stars within 12 months, they get upgraded to the Green level from the Welcome level. Once you reach the Green level, you will stay at that level for one full year from the date you qualified.

The membership tier is evaluated every year on the anniversary date. If you earned five stars during the year, you stay at the Green level for another year. If you earned fewer than five stars, you will move back to the Welcome level, and your star count will be reset to 0.

Gold Tier: When a member earns 25 stars within 12 months, they get upgraded to the Gold level from the Green level. The 25 stars include the five stars from the Green level and an additional 20 stars thereafter. Once you reach Gold level, you will stay at that level for one full year from the date you qualified.

The membership tier is evaluated every year on the anniversary date. If you have earned 25 stars during the year, you stay at the Gold level for another year. If you have earned less than 25 stars, you will move back to the Green level, and your star count will be reset to 0.

The benefits of the three membership tiers are as follows:

Free birthday beverage: A member can enjoy a free tall-size beverage on their birthday month. To be eligible, the member has to spend Rs. 1,000 or more annually.

Free beverage customisation: A Green member gets one free customisation, and a Gold member gets two free customisations on any handcrafted beverages.

Free beverage on whole bean: A member can enjoy a free tall-size beverage on the purchase of 250 grams of whole bean coffee.

Free tall-sized drink: You become a Gold member by earning 25 stars. On becoming a Gold member, your star count is reset to 0. Thereafter, as a gold member, you unlock a free tall-size beverage after every 10 stars earned.

Starbucks Beverage Subscriptions

The Starbucks Beverage Subscriptions allow members to enjoy their favourite core beverages at a special price. A member gets a subscription offer on the 1st of every month. 

For example, a member may get an offer to “buy 10 tall core beverages at Rs. 2,629”. When a member purchases this prepaid subscription package, they can enjoy each tall coffee at a discounted price of just Rs. 263 instead of the regular price of above Rs. 350.

While the subscription packages are an excellent way for members to enjoy their favourite coffee at a discounted price, they have certain limitations.

1. A member cannot choose the subscription package on their own. They have to purchase the subscription package offered by Starbucks. A member may get a subscription package to purchase 6 beverages or 10 beverages, etc. It would be nice if Starbucks gave member the choice to select their subscription package.
2. Once a member purchases a subscription, it is valid for 30 days from the date of purchase. So, the member has to consume the subscription package coffees within 30 days. Any unused beverage/s will lapse. It would be nice if Starbucks gave a validity of more than 30 days.

Member benefits

The Starbucks Rewards members can expect various offers/benefits from time to time. Some of these include the following.

1. Discount offers for spending a specified minimum amount on a single bill. Members may usually get offers with discounts ranging from 5 to 20%.
2. Exclusive invites providing access to special beverages crafted for members only.
3. Exclusive invites with early access to newly-launched drinks before they are offered to everyone else.
4. Surprise gift from exclusive, limited-edition merchandise collection based on the amount spent, food items purchased, etc.
5. Offers to earn double stars or bonus stars on spending for specified amount on specified dates. 

Should you become a Starbucks Rewards member?

If you are a Starbucks fan who visits them regularly, you must become a Starbucks Rewards member. With the membership, you will get to enjoy various benefits. The more you spend, the higher your membership tier, and the more benefits you will enjoy. With the purchase of the Beverage Subscriptions package, you can enjoy your favourite beverages at deeply discounted prices. 

Thus, with the combination of the Starbucks Rewards program and the Beverage Subscriptions package, you can enjoy the Starbucks premium experience without paying a premium price.

Gopal Gidwani is a freelance personal finance content writer with 15+ years of experience. He can be reached on LinkedIn.

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