How to Get a Free Starbucks Drink! 15 Tips That Work!

Updated:  January 30, 2021

There’s only one thing better than Starbucks coffee, and that’s FREE Starbucks coffee! I know you’re with me! But how to get a free Starbucks drink?

That’s an important question, because whether you’re a Pumpkin Spice Latte addict, or you simply love their Italian Roast beans; regular trips to Starbucks can put a dent in your budget.

In fact, according to Acorns, most millennials spend to the tune of $1,100 every year on coffee. That translates to just about $3 every day, which sounds about right, doesn’t it?

But I’m here to tell you that you can bring your annual coffee expense down because I’ve found several ways for you to get free Starbucks drinks. Ways that’ll work for you whether you’re a Starbucks addict or just the casual coffee drinker.

We’ll go step by step through these different methods to get your Starbucks free coffee and by the end of this post, you’ll be an expert at getting free drinks!

Let’s get started!

You may also like: 25+ Cheap Date Ideas for Couples

1) Get Free Starbucks Gift Cards

One of the best ways to get a FREE Starbucks coffee is with a gift card. And one of the easiest ways to get free Starbucks gift cards is to wait for your birthday. Ha!

But, if you don’t want to wait a whole year for that free frap and gold butter bagels from the Starbucks bakery, join some survey sites and get started earning gift cards in your spare time.

I’m a member of several survey sites myself, and I’ve earned some money doing this with survey companies like,

Swagbucks,

Survey Junkie,

Pinecone Research and

American Consumer Opinion,

These companies will not make you rich, but they are 100% legit and can put some coffee money in your pocket!

You just need to provide an email address to get started, and they’ll let you redeem the points you earn for free Starbucks gift cards.

And better yet, when you register with Swagbucks, you’ll get $5 when you sign up! That’s two free drinks right there!

But let me take a step back. Because if you sign up for American Consumer Opinion, they won’t pay out gift cards. Bummer, I know…

Instead, they pay you cash!

But hey, gift card, or cash, your iced coffee will be free!

2) Get Free Starbucks Coffee With Their Rewards Program

Another way to get free Starbucks drinks and food items is by joining their rewards program.

Other benefits of participating in the Starbucks rewards program are that you can order in advance, be the first to know about new menu items, and receive an email offer or promotion every few days.

And the program is free to join! So, if you ever buy anything from Starbucks, you should sign up.

How Does The Rewards Program Work?

They made a few changes to their rewards program in April 2019, but it still works the same…

For those of you not familiar with the prior Starbucks rewards program, after registering, they considered you a Green Member.

Green members had to collect 300 stars (the Starbucks equivalent of points) and exchange them for Gold Card Membership.

After becoming a Gold Member, your stars were reset to zero, and then you could start redeeming your stars for free Starbucks.

Basically, you had to pay a 300-star toll before you could enter the realm of the Starbucks elite and start earning free coffee.

With the new program though, there’s no green level or gold level.

Everyone can earn and redeem their stars as soon as they register… no 300-star toll required.

You may also like: 40 of the Best Cheap Foods to Buy When Broke

How to Earn Stars?

Ok, so after you join the program, you must do certain things to get stars.

The most basic way to get stars is to use a registered Starbucks card (a Starbucks gift card that links to your account) or use the mobile app when you make purchases from Starbucks.

When you do that, you’ll collect two stars for each dollar you spend.

How Many Stars do You Need For Free Starbucks?

So, how many stars do you need to redeem to get your FREE Starbucks drinks?

You’ll need at least 50 stars to get a free drink. But here’s a quick summary of how many stars you’ll need to redeem for stuff from Starbucks.

• 25 stars: Will get you a free shot of espresso, a dash of syrup, or a dairy substitute.
• 50 stars: You can get a free brewed coffee or free tea.
• 150 stars: Get a free handcrafted drink, parfait or free breakfast item (like croissants and bagels)
• 200 stars: Get a free lunch sandwich, protein box or salad
• 400 stars: You can get free merchandise or at-home coffee

In case you were wondering, a brewed drink is a tea or coffee (hot or cold) with no other ingredients added by the barista. A handcrafted drink, however, requires the barista to add at least one other ingredient, like a shot of espresso, flavored syrup, latte, etc.

3) Use Starbucks Visa Prepaid or Starbucks Rewards Visa Credit Card

If you’re a die-hard Starbucks customer, then you can get stars even faster when you register for the Starbucks Rewards Visa.

And you’ll receive 300 bonus stars the first time you use your Starbucks Visa to add money to your Starbucks account. (That’s enough to get a FREE Starbucks coffee and a food item today!)

You can also receive 6,500 (not a typo!) bonus stars after spending $500 anywhere after opening your Starbucks Visa account.

(There’s some fine print you’ll want to read first.)

And you’ll earn stars everywhere you make a purchase, not just in Starbucks.

But maybe you’re not a credit card person.

I feel you. In that case, you can still earn bonus stars by getting your hands on a Starbucks Visa Prepaid Card.

You’ll earn 150 stars the first time you load money onto your Starbucks Reward Visa Prepaid Card.

And that, my friend, is enough by itself to receive a FREE Starbucks drinks or one food item.

Earlier I mentioned that Starbucks reward expire within six months, but that’s not the case here! Stars you earn with these Visa cards only expire after you close your card’s account.

You may also like: Creative ways to save money

4) How to Get a Free Starbucks Drink With Cash Back Apps

There’s an excellent chance you’ve heard of cash back apps. But if you haven’t, cash back apps put cash (or gift cards) in your pocket for making purchases through their app!

Millions of people use apps like Ibotta, and  Rakuten to get paid for doing their normal shopping.

And if they’re giving away free money, you might as well take it, right?

To get free Starbucks gift cards with these apps. You need to:

• Download the app and enter your email address to register
• Search for online coupons, or cashback offers on things you want to buy
• Earn cashback or points! (depending on which app you’re using…)

The next time you need to hit the stores, don’t forget Ibotta and Rakuten.

And when you’re ready for a coffee break, the drink will be on them!

5) Get Free Refills on Your Coffee

Did you know that you can get free refills from Starbucks if you’re in their rewards program?

Yes! This is how Starbucks’ refill policy works: First, use your registered Starbucks Card or the mobile app to buy a coffee from Starbucks.

Then, when you finish your drink, if you go back and present that same card or mobile app, you can get free refills.

But what drinks can you get free refills for at Starbucks? Any drink?

Well… no.

If your original drink was aa Pumpkin Spice Latte, you will not get a free refill on the same drink.

Instead, your refill options are brewed coffee (cold, hot or iced, brew), and tea (hot or iced).

Keep in mind you can only get refills during the same store visit. So, remember to enjoy all the Starbucks free refills you can drink before you leave Starbucks’ coffee shop!

You may also like: Grocery Spending – 25+ Ways to Reduce It!

6) Receive a Free Birthday Reward From Starbucks

This is my favorite way to get free Starbucks…

If you’re a member of the Starbucks Rewards program, you can enjoy a free food item or drink as a birthday reward!

There’s no better way to start your birthday than with a FREE birthday drink and a few cake pops, right?

Right!

But how do you get your FREE birthday drink from Starbucks?

For this to work, create a Starbucks Rewards account at least 7 days before your birthday and provide your birth date in your account info.

You also must earn at least one star before your birthday each year.

Then, when your birthday rolls around, you’ll be able to receive almost anything on the menu for FREE.

Including one handcrafted Starbucks birthday drink (in any size drink they offer, even Venti!), or one food item or one bottled beverage.

Just show your registered Starbucks Card or Starbucks mobile app to the baristas at a participating store to claim your FREE Starbucks birthday reward.

And just in case you forget about your upcoming birthday reward, Starbucks will send you an email a day or two before your birthday reminding you to come in!

Just don’t forget to follow up and enjoy your FREE birthday drink!

Easy peasy!

7) Get Free Starbucks on BOGO Thursdays

On certain Thursdays, between 2 pm and 7 pm, participating Starbucks has BOGO offers to get free drinks (Starbucks will tell you when it’s BOGO day via email).

The way this works is, you buy your choice of Starbucks coffee (size Grande or Venti) and get another one for FREE!

Whether it’s a macchiato, matcha, or any of the other beverages they offer, you’ll be able to choose FREE Starbucks drinks to enjoy… provided your friend buys one first (or vice versa)!

Just download the Starbucks app for your Happy Hour coupon, check your email for news that it’s a BOGO Thursday, and experience Happy Hour!

8) Bring Your Own Mug

Bringing your own cup has benefits…

First, you look super cool. Second, you’re helping the environment. And third, you qualify for a $.10 discount.

When you bring in your own mug, they’ll charge you for the closest cup size, but not for a size larger than the cup you brought in.

I know 10 cents doesn’t seem like a lot, but it can add up if you’re a Starbucks fan. And it can add up fast if you’re a Starbucks addict!

But even if you’re a modest coffee drinker…let’s say 4 cups a week, a 10 cent discount would be…

$1.60 per month –> $19.20 every year.

Now consider that some of their Venti drinks cost $4.95…

Just by bringing your own cup, you’ll get about four Venti drinks for FREE every year! (And if you drink Grande or Tall, it could be even more!)

So, don’t forget to bring in your own mug to help the environment, and get yourself a free drink every few months!

You may also like: Little Known Ways to Drastically Reduce Your Food Spending

9) Grab a Free Pupuccino

Did you know that your dog can also get free Starbucks? Yes, you read that right!

It’s called a Pupuccino…and it’s a Starbucks cup filled with whipped cream. But your dog will love his (or her) free little Starbucks gift anyway!

The Pupuccino is one of Starbucks’ secret menu items, so you won’t be able to order it through the app. But once you walk in or go through the drive-thru, just let the barista know that your four-legged friend is with you and they’ll whip one up!

So, the next time you’re driving around with your dog in the car and you stop for a free drink at Starbucks, don’t enjoy your drink all alone. Bring your friend a Pupuccino!

10) Use The Drop App to Get Free Starbucks

With the Drop app, you earn points on your everyday purchases, like food, clothes, and even travel!

And once you earn enough points, you can redeem them for free gift cards at places like Amazon, Dominos, and…you guessed it, Starbucks!

One cool thing about Drop app is that  you can use it with other apps like Ibotta and Ebates to earn points at the same time you’re earning cash back on your purchases. How cool is that?

Hey, you would spend the money anyway, so why not use Drop to get some free drinks while you’re at it!

11) Starbucks Secret Size: The Short

The sizes advertised at Starbucks are Tall, Grande, and Venti. But did you know that their secret menu hides a smaller, cheaper size?

It’s called the Short, and is an 8-ounce cup that’s exclusively for hot drinks.

This is a great way to get a taste of the Starbucks specialty drinks you love for a cheaper price.

Definitely worth a try to save some money!

12) Try The Venti Split

Here’s another tip that won’t get you free drinks, but can save you some money.

When you go to Starbucks with a friend, order a Venti size drink, and share it between the two of you.

Since a Venti is 24 ounces and a Tall is 12 ounces, you can order the Venti and ask for two Tall cups on the side. Some people feel that this is a little shady, and your barista may, or may not, give you attitude.

But if you feel weird about it, you can bring your own mug and your friend can keep drinking from the Venti cup.

13) Order the French Press

If you’re going to Starbucks with a group of friends, think about ordering a French press pot of coffee to save money.

The size and price of the French Press may be different depending on your location. But two thing’s are for sure:

• You’ll get several cups of coffee from the French Press
• It’ll be cheaper than each of you buying your own cups

You may also like: Creative ways to save money

14) DIY Coffee: Make Your Own Starbucks Drinks

Another one of my favorite methods to get “free” drinks is to make them myself!

I first started crafting my own drinks when I realized that the barista who was making my caramel frappuccino only used a few ingredients…

…All of which I had at home in the fridge!

(You don’t even have to use Starbucks brand coffee. Personally, I use Cuban coffee brands)

Why ask “how to earn free Starbucks drinks?” when you can ask “how can I enjoy Starbucks at home?”

But I get it. Some days a visit to Starbucks offers you a nice and relaxing experience, but other times, it pays to do it yourself.

You can find copycat recipes for your favorite Starbucks coffee (people have recipes for all kinds of Starbucks drinks).

But here’s a popular video showing how you can make 5 Starbucks-inspired iced coffee drinks at home.

(Now all we need is to find copycat recipes for their gold, delicious, bakery food!)

And for those of you who prefer to enjoy your Starbucks without the dairy, here are five more recipes to try with soy milk or your favorite dairy substitute!

Figuring out how to get a free Starbucks drink of your choice doesn’t always require tricks and apps. Sometimes, you just need a recipe!

Sweet!

15) Bonus Tip: Get Free Starbucks For Life!

If you’re wondering “how to get free Starbucks for life”, here’s how it works!

Starbucks for Life is a promotion that Starbucks releases during the holidays. (FYI: By Starbucks for Life, they mean free Starbucks for 30 years.)

So, you must wait until the holiday season to play, but the payoff is all the free Starbucks you can drink!

When Starbucks for Life rolls around, make sure you join Starbucks’ rewards program and get a stamp card. Then, you can play twice a day by making an eligible purchase with a registered Starbucks card or through the Starbucks app.

The prizes give out may change from year to year. But in 2019, they included:

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it!

Fifteen legit ways to save money and get FREE coffee at Starbucks! By following only one of these methods, you should be able to grab the occasional free drinks from Starbucks.

But by doing a few of them, you should be able to get a free drink fairly often.

Now it’s your turn! Are there any ways you get free drinks from Starbucks we didn’t mention in this post? Or do you have questions about how to get free Starbucks drinks?

Let us know in the comments below!

Cheers!

You may also like: Little Known Ways to Drastically Reduce Your Food Spending