free starbucks coffee
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10+ Secret Ways to Get Free Starbucks Coffee

(Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links meaning I get a commission for recommending the products to you guys. Read full disclaimer here).

Do you have a Starbucks addiction? Did you know that you can get free Starbucks drinks and food and save money at the same time? I know everyone loves to get their Starbucks coffee every day, and the temptation is hard to resist. If you can get free Starbucks coffee, wouldn't that be great?

Starbucks is a well-known brand that has lived up to its name for many years. According to Insiders, Starbucks customers would visit the place about six times a month, and 20% would go about 16 times a month. It makes sense that everyone loves Starbucks since they make refreshing drinks. Thanks to Starbucks, people can enjoy their life with some good coffee. Of course, if you like to live frugally like me but still want Starbucks, you probably want to find some Starbucks hacks to save some money because drinking Starbucks often every week can eat up your wallet. 

You might be wondering how you can save money with Starbucks when you buy them so often. In this post, you'll find some cool hacks you can use in your daily lives. These are the most incredible ways to earn free and discounted Starbucks drinks.

Join the Starbucks Rewards Program

One of the best methods for earning a free Starbucks coffee is through the Starbucks Reward Program. You can receive two stars for every $1 you spend if you sign up for the Starbucks rewards program.

With enough stars, you can exchange them for your favorite drinks and foods. Can you believe you can get a free Starbucks for just 25 stars? Remember to keep an eye out for bonus star challenges as well.

Here is what you can get with the stars:

  • 25 Stars: favorite drink can be customized with an extra shot, dairy substitute, syrup, or sauce (such as mocha sauce.) 
  • 50 Stars: Hot brewed coffee, bakery item or hot brewed tea. 
  • 150 Stars: Handcrafted drink, hot breakfast or parfait.
  • 200 Stars: Lunch sandwich, protein box or salad (250 Stars in Canada.) 
  • 400 Stars: Select merchandise or packaged coffee.  

Free Birthday Drink

You can get a free birthday drink if you are part of the Starbucks Reward program. If you are not, you must be part of the program for at least seven days before your birthday. It is a nice bonus to get on your birthday. Who doesn't want a free drink on their special day? 

If you don't want a drink, you can get a pastry instead. Most things are included except for alcoholic drinks. If you are not a member yet, I highly recommend signing up. Even if you don't drink Starbucks often, it is nice to have a free Starbucks coffee on your birthday. 

National Coffee Day 

Starbucks tends to give free coffee or special deals to celebrate National Coffee Day. That day is always on September 29th every year, so you should always mark that date on your calendar. 

If you bring in a clean, empty cup, you can receive a free cup of coffee. The maximum for the cup should be 20 fl. oz. If you are a caffeine lover, you don't want to miss this opportunity. 

Bring Your Cup of Coffee

If you simply bring your cup, Starbucks will give you a ten-cent discount and earn stars at the same time too.  

If you bring in a 20-ounce cup (most baristas will fill it to the top) and order tall (12 ounces) or Grande (16 ounces), you are literally getting a free coffee.

That's on top of your savings for bringing your cup. You're not only saving money and receiving free coffee, but you're also saving the planet. 

Join Swag bucks

Don't Swagbucks and Starbucks sound like a winning combination? Swagbucks is a survey app that allows you to earn big prizes by completing easy tasks and surveys. 

You can earn points by viewing ads, taking surveys, exploring the web, playing games, and doing other simple tasks. When you reach enough points, you can exchange those for gift cards or other rewards.

You might be concerned that a site like Swagbucks is a scam, but trust me, it is NOT! If you try it out, you'll see how easy you can rack up points. Swagbucks also sells gift cards to a variety of different stores. There's a good chance you'll find one you like. 

Register Your Starbucks Card for Free Refills

When you pay with a registered Starbucks card or the Starbucks app, you can receive free Starbucks coffee and tea refills. During the same store visit, they provide free refills of coffee or tea regardless of the original beverage requested.

However, once you leave the store, any coffee or tea refills you order after that will be considered a new purchase rather than a free refill. It's also worth noting that the Drive-Thru doesn't offer refills.

Add Some Free Syrups, Coffee Shots, And Whipped Cream

You'll be able to obtain free shots of coffee, free milk alternatives, whipped cream, free syrups, and more when you hit the Gold Level Rewards. Even if it's something small, it's still a freebie. You can't say no to free syrup, coffee shot, or whipped cream, can you? 

Promotions With A BOGO Free Offer

There can be happy hours or special days randomly, so you should always keep an eye out for those days.

There might be days where you can buy one, get one free deal or other special deals. Starbucks occasionally runs special promotions over the holidays or every few weeks, depending on your location. 

Often times, happy hour usually falls on a Thursday from 2 pm to 7 pm. The best part is that it's always BOGO. Special promotions can be 50% off specialty beverages during happy hour. To ensure you don't miss this opportunity, enable your Starbucks notification app on your phone to receive a happy hour alert.

Sign Up for Fetch 

Fetch is an app where you can get coins when you take pictures of your receipt. Once you earn enough coins, you can exchange them for gifts cards to places like Macy's, Addidas, Starbucks, Ulta, and more.

If you don't want free Starbucks coffee, you can gift cards to stores. This is a method you can use to shop and save at the same time. Whenever you go out to buy things, remember to ask for a receipt so that you can take a picture of it on Fetch.

Another way to get coins is to have your friends or family sign up. If you want to sign up today, click here or use my code TQTFP. When you sign up with me and take a picture of your first receipt, we both get coins. It's a win-win for both of us! Fetch is a great app that makes purchasing simple and fun.

Starbucks Rewards – Visa card 

You may apply for a Starbucks credit card, and if you qualify, you'll be getting a lot of free Starbucks coffee. The card comes with a sign-up incentive that entitles you to free merchandise. In the first three months, you'll get 2,500 points on your Starbucks rewards card after spending $500 on anything (groceries, gas, shopping, Starbucks, you name it!).

Play Starbucks Games

Starbucks occasionally features games where you can have fun while earning points. Starbucks launched its Earth Month Game in April 2021, giving Starbucks Rewards members the chance to win over 2.5 million prizes.

Although it may appear that you must purchase something to participate in games, you don't. You can enter for free if you don't want to spend any money.

Survey with LifePoints

In the early 2000s, the well-known Lightspeed firm launched LifePoints. It has over 5 million users clicking away for free money on their phones or computers.

LifePoints collaborates with market research firms to allow you to provide your thoughts on product development and advertising strategies. For your time, you are generously compensated. They even have surveys and mini-polls that can be completed in seconds.

The app will transfer points into your online account as soon as you complete your first survey. You may then exchange them for cash or gift cards by using PayPal.

 Starbucks App

To ensure you don't miss out on deals and promotions, download the app of Starbucks to see what rewards they offer. You can earn additional perks and promotions as a Starbucks Rewards member, such as exclusive items or discounts on your purchase. 

With the app, you can order ahead of time and pay with your phone. When you get there, you don't have to wait for your drinks, making it very convenient when you are running late. 

Use Drop to Get Cash-Back Rewards

Drop is a free application that gives you points for purchasing at your favorite stores and doing basic tasks. It's a well-known app with over 3 million users who earn cash rewards at places like Amazon and Starbucks every day. 

Drop's points can be used with other offers, promotions, cash-back programs, and coupons. If you want to get some rewards, you should try Drop today!

ICE on the Side

Did you know you can get ice on the side when you order a Starbucks drink? You can get ice on the side if you order iced teas, iced lattes, refreshers, or iced caramel macchiatos. 

I don't know about you, but some people use this method to have more to drink because there is always more ice than the drink itself. If you want to be smart with your money, I advise you to try this method. 

Final Thoughts 

Hopefully, you have found these tips and tricks to be extremely helpful. I know many of you are coffee lovers out there, and Starbucks is always the number stop on your list. It's hard to save money when you have an obsession with Starbucks. With these fun and easy methods, you can save a bit every month. I cannot wait to see you using these methods to get your free Starbucks coffee. 

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next post! 

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She started her blog, The Money Dreamer, when she realized the 9-5 job was not the lifestyle she wanted anymore. After designing for a while, she wanted a more meaningful life, which was freedom, so she decided to venture out. She took action so that she can live her dream life and decided to help people to live theirs by helping them how to save, budget, and invest.

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