If you can't start your day without drinking a delicious Starbucks beverage, it could soon become an expensive habit.
In the U.S., people spend approximately $11 per week on Starbucks, according to Spoon University.
You might, therefore, wonder if you can find ways to score free drinks without having to sacrifice your favorite coffee.
Quick Answer: How to get free Starbucks
You can get free Starbucks drinks by signing up for the Starbucks rewards, making use of the company's refilling policy, and downloading the Starbucks app so that you can stay informed about the company's promotions.
In this article, I'll explore these and other easy ways to get free Starbucks drinks that taste delicious and are kind to your wallet.
1. Sign up for Starbucks Rewards
If you're a member of the Starbucks Rewards Program, every time you purchase something from Starbucks, you'll earn stars.
Once you start racking up the stars, you'll get perks and free items.
But most people guess how long it takes to earn a free Starbucks drink. You do not need to guess!
Pick how you pay, what you typically spend, and how often you go, and I'll estimate how many weeks it should take to get your free drink:
Here's more information:
- When you earn 25 points, you can customize your Starbucks drink with a dairy substitute or your favorite syrup.
- When you earn 50 points, you can choose between a hot brewed coffee, a hot tea, or a bakery item. So, at this level, you'll already be able to get a free drink!
- When you earn 150 points, you can choose between a parfait, a handcrafted drink, or a hot breakfast.
- When you earn 400 points, you can take home a bag of coffee of your choice. This means you'll be able to make your own delicious coffee at home.
To start earning stars, you should download the free Starbucks app. It's available on both iPhone and Android.
Once you do that, you'll earn one star for every $1 that you spend when you scan your member barcode in the Starbucks app. Then, you can pay via cash, credit/debit cards, or your mobile wallet at participating stores.
You can also earn more stars by making use of Double Star Day. Download the app to your device so you can be notified when Double Star Day is being held.
On these days, you can earn double the number of stars for every purchase, helping you fast-track your way to a free drink.
Related article: Check out this article to learn more about earning stars at Starbucks to get the most out of your next visit!
2. Use Starbucks Rewards for free coffee on your birthday
Another good reason to join the Starbucks Reward Program is that when you do, you'll qualify for a free drink on your birthday.
This drink can take the form of a bottled beverage (such as an iced Frappuccino) or a handcrafted beverage, which is basically any drink of your choice that your barista behind the counter will whip up for you.
Tip: Learn more about handcrafted drinks at Starbucks by reading this article.
If you haven't joined the Rewards Program yet, please do so approximately one week before your birthday to qualify for the complimentary beverage.
You also need to do two other things to ensure you qualify:
- Check that you've provided your birthdate in your Starbucks app account information.
- Complete at least one transaction that earns you Starbucks stars before your birthday.
Once you've completed all of the above, your birthday Starbucks reward will be added to your account automatically, and it's only valid on your birthday.
Following these rules will ensure that you qualify for a delicious free drink on the most important day of the year.
Related article: In this in-depth article, you can read all the steps you need to follow to get a free drink at Starbucks on your birthday.
Use my Starbucks birthday drink checker below, and I'll walk you through it step by step:
3. Get free refills from Starbucks
A convenient way to enjoy free drinks is to take advantage of Starbucks' cup refilling policy.
How this works is that you need a Starbucks Card (which you'll get when you sign up for rewards).
Present this card when you've purchased a hot or iced brewed coffee or tea, and then request a refill during your stay at Starbucks.
Using refills helps you to save money on Starbucks without cutting back on your coffee habit.
However, it's important to note that you can't get a refill of a drink you've ordered that's not a brewed coffee or tea.
So, if you've ordered a peppermint mocha Frappuccino, unfortunately, you won't get to enjoy a refill of it.
That said, if you love drinking hot or iced tea or coffee, you'll be able to have instant refills, even when your first order was a different drink.
Related article: If you want to learn more about the free refills at Starbucks and which drinks qualify, check out this in-depth article.
Try my Starbucks free refill checker below to see how the current rules apply to your order:
4. Bring your own cup when shopping at Starbucks
If you bring your own cup when you visit Starbucks, you'll be doing a good deed for the environment, as Starbucks uses over 8,000 paper cups every minute, according to Clean Water Action.
However, you'll also save some money that can be used towards a delicious beverage or two.
Starbucks encourages people to use their own cups for coffee by offering them a discount on their orders when they do.
This discount is 10 cents. Although small, over time, this discount can help you save money, allowing you to earn a free beverage.
And, if you're a Starbucks Rewards member, this discount is increased: you'll earn 25 stars just for using your own cup.
5. Download the Drop app
Drop is a rewards app that enables you to earn points whenever you shop at some of your favorite stores, including Starbucks.
You can also earn points when you take part in certain tasks, such as completing online surveys. Once you have gained a lot of points, you can exchange them for free gift cards.
To get started on Drop, you need to complete these steps:
- Download the app on your phone. It's available for Apple and Android devices.
- Go to your account information. Here, you want to link the bank cards you use when shopping.
- Shop at your favorite stores, such as Starbucks.
- Earn reward points when you swipe your card. These get automatically added to your Drop account, whether you make purchases in-store or online.
When you earn 1,000 points on the Drop app, these are worth $1.
If you're a loyal Starbucks customer, you will quickly rack up lots of points within a short amount of time. Then, you can redeem these points to get free Starbucks gift cards.
You can also earn a bonus on Drop if you spend a specific amount of money at a specific store.
The app will let you know if you've earned extra points and give you a supercharge bonus if you make a minimum of five purchases from one of your favorite stores, of which Starbucks can be one, as Millennial Money reports.
6. Visit Starbucks during happy hour
The time of day when you visit Starbucks for your caffeine fix can make the difference in whether or not you get to make use of free drinks.
Starbucks used to offer a buy-one-get-one-free happy hour on certain Thursdays from 2 pm to 7 pm, typically held around holidays.
However, this has not occurred frequently in recent years. Instead, we got 50% off any handcrafted beverage every Friday in May 2024.
To stay abreast of when happy hours are being held at Starbucks, you should download the Starbucks app.
Make sure you turn on push notifications in the app so that you'll always receive the latest news about when the local Starbucks in your area will hold a happy hour.
There are other buy-one-get-one-free promotions available that aren't linked to happy hour events, so it's certainly worth downloading the Starbucks app to avoid missing out on them.
7. Make use of Starbucks Star Codes
If you're a big fan of Starbucks, you might regularly purchase Starbucks products from your local grocery store.
Another easy way to earn free Starbucks is to use Star Codes, which are codes that you can use to earn stars on your Starbucks loyalty card.
How it works is that some Starbucks products you can purchase in your local grocery store have a star code sticker on them.
This is worth looking for on the products before you purchase them. Examples of Starbucks products you can purchase to get freebies include:
- VIA Instant blends
- K-cup pods
- Multi-serve chilled coffee
- Doubleshot Energy cans
To use Star Codes, you need to have a Starbucks Rewards Card and have downloaded the Starbucks app.
Scan the star code on the item you've purchased on your mobile app. You'll earn a star for every $1 that you spend on qualifying items.
You can also earn free stars with star codes by participating in member-only offers in your inbox.
So, make sure to subscribe to receive Starbucks emails to stay notified of these special offers!
8. Get a job at Starbucks
If you're a student or you're looking for a job at Starbucks because you love it so much, being hired by the company can help you score lots of free beverages.
This might not be an option for you, but consider sharing the information with people you know, as you may be able to benefit from their Starbucks employment opportunities.
Starbucks employees enjoy many perks, including health insurance, but they also have the opportunity to enjoy free beverages. Three perks include:
- Free tea and coffee. Employees will receive a free box of tea or one pound (0.45kg) of coffee every week. This enables them to take their coffee habit home and save some money on handcrafted beverages.
- In-store discounts. Employees will receive 30% off Starbucks drinks, food, and merchandise.
- Handcrafted beverages while working. Store partners working in a Starbucks store can enjoy any handcrafted beverage of their choice while they work, according to Starbucks Benefits.
Related article: Starbucks Barista Hourly Salary: How Much in 2026? (+ Tips)
9. Be careful when adding ice to drinks
While this isn't technically a way to save money so you can get a free Starbucks drink, it will help you get much more out of your drink for what you pay.
When ordering a cold beverage, please specify that you don't want ice cubes added to it. This will give you more of the beverage, making it a good value for money.
If you doubt how much ice cubes affect the quantity of your drink, consider this:
If you're ordering a venti drink, which is 24 ounces (3 cups or 700 ml), if it contains ice, the amount of liquid in the cup goes down to about 14 ounces (1.75 cups or 400 ml), as Spoon University reports.
This is a big difference! If you regularly order an iced drink, you could be getting less instead of more.
10. Sign up for Survey Junkie
If you love taking online surveys to earn cash, you can also use this platform to get Starbucks gift cards.
Survey Junkie is a survey platform and online market research community. The surveys will take between 5 minutes and half an hour to complete.
You will then earn points! One point is the equivalent of one cent. When you've achieved 500 points, you'll get $5.
When you want to cash out your money, you can do so by receiving cash in your PayPal or bank account.
Or, you can request gift cards instead to use at your favorite store, including Starbucks.
Here's how to use Survey Junkie:
- Create a profile on Survey Junkie. You'll be required to provide personal information, such as your country of residence, ZIP code, first and last name, and date of birth. You must be located in the U.S., Canada, or Australia to sign up for Survey Junkie.
- Wait for Survey Junkie to send you survey offers. You can receive surveys via email, your dashboard, or push notifications.
You'll be notified of how many points you'll earn for every survey that you complete. For example, a survey that takes 10 minutes could earn you 40 points.
11. Sign up for Swagbucks
Another way to earn money that you can use at Starbucks is to sign up for Swagbucks.
On this platform, you can earn reward points for doing online tasks, such as watching videos, taking surveys, and surfing the web.
The points you earn, which are called SBs, can be converted into cash or gift cards.
To get a free Starbucks drink by using Swagbucks, you just have to convert the points you earn on Swagbucks into Starbucks gift cards.
Swagbucks is a good alternative to Survey Junkie because it's available in more countries, making it a viable option for those living outside the U.S.
The countries that currently qualify for Swagbucks are:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- France
- Spain
- Germany
- India
- Portugal
12. Get free Starbucks drinks from Groupon
Groupon is a mobile and web app that offers deals, coupons, and cash back on purchases.
If you use Groupon, you can get various Starbucks drinks for free or at a discount.
Groupon offers card-linked deals and discount vouchers that can be used when purchasing items from Starbucks.
It's therefore worth checking Groupon regularly for the latest offers.
Once you've purchased a voucher, such as one that can be used at Starbucks, you can print it and bring it with you the next time you purchase a coffee, or you can exchange it for other items.
13. Add some DIY to your iced latte
You can reduce the cost of some Starbucks drinks you love to purchase by buying separate ingredients for them from the Starbucks menu and then making them yourself.
A prime example of a drink that you can DIY is a Starbucks latte.
While this method does not guarantee a free Starbucks drink, it does save money, which, over time, would enable you to purchase a free drink with the money you would've spent.
Doing this could save you about one or two dollars every time, so it's great if you enjoy iced lattes regularly.
To make your own iced latte, you will first need to order a shot of espresso on ice.
Be sure to request a large cup, as you will add the other ingredients required to make your iced latte to it.
Then, all you have to do is add the following ingredients to your espresso:
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cream
- Cinnamon
- Cocoa powder
There you go!
By enjoying your iced latte this way, you'll reduce the amount you spend to nurture your Starbucks habit and use the money you've saved to purchase a drink from the Starbucks menu.
You should also read my guide, “How To Order At Starbucks Like a Pro”, so you always get what you want.
Final thoughts
If you usually spend a lot of money at Starbucks, you could do it with a discount or even free beverages.
Luckily, there are many ways to qualify for a free drink, such as by signing up for apps that enable you to earn money or vouchers.
However, the most effective method is to sign up for Starbucks Rewards. This is because it opens you up to many opportunities for you to get a free drink in your hands, such as:
- Earning additional discounts when you bring your own mug to Starbucks.
- Receiving a free beverage on your birthday.
- Utilize Star Codes to make purchases at Starbucks.
