Ever finished your Starbucks drink and wished you could get another for free? You might be in luck!
As of January 27, 2025, Starbucks has updated its free refill policy, making significant changes to who qualifies, which drinks are eligible, and how refills work.
Since this policy update affects all customers, I’ve carefully reviewed Starbucks’ official statements and firsthand reports to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date information on these changes.
Quick Answer: Does Starbucks still offer free refills?
Yes! Starbucks still offers free refills, but the rules have changed. As of 2025, you no longer need to be a Starbucks Rewards member to qualify.
However, refills are only available during the same in-store visit at participating Starbucks locations and must be served in a “for here” cup or a personal reusable cup. Drive-thru, mobile, and delivery orders do not qualify.
Refills apply only to brewed coffee or tea (hot, iced, or cold brew). Specialty drinks like Cold Brew, lattes, Starbucks Refreshers, Iced Tea Lemonades, and other handcrafted beverages do not qualify—meaning you can’t get the same drink as a refill if you order one of these.
Additionally, once you leave the store, the offer no longer applies.
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of Starbucks’ old vs. new refill rules:
| Category | New Policy (2025) | Previous Policy |
| Eligibility | All customers can get free refills | Only Starbucks Rewards members were eligible |
| Qualifying Beverages | No changes | Hot or iced brewed coffee & tea |
| Exclusions | No changes | Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew, Iced Tea Lemonade, Flavored Iced Tea, and Starbucks Refreshers base |
| In-Store Requirement | Your initial order must be served in a for-here ware or a clean reusable cup | Not strictly enforced; refills could be obtained regardless of in-store stay or type of cup used |
| Takeaway Refills | No changes | Allowed in your own reusable personal cup |
These updates reflect Starbucks’ focus on sustainability and enhancing the in-store experience.
However, not all Starbucks drinks qualify under the 2025 refill policy. Here’s a breakdown of what does and doesn’t:
| Drink Type | Eligible for Free Refill? |
| ☕ Brewed Hot Coffee | ✅ Yes |
| 🧊 Iced Coffee (Excludes Nitro & Cold Brew) | ✅ Yes |
| 🍵 Hot Tea (Any variety, no lemonade) | ✅ Yes |
| 🍹 Iced Tea (No lemonade/customizations) | ✅ Yes |
| 🥶 Cold Brew, Nitro Cold Brew | ❌ No |
| ☕ Espresso Drinks (Lattes, Cappuccinos, Macchiatos, Americanos, etc.) | ❌ No |
| 🥤 Frappuccinos, Refreshers, Lemonade Drinks | ❌ No |
Want to maximize your Starbucks unlimited refills? Keep reading for all the details on how to get the most out of this policy!
What is Starbucks’ refill policy in 2025?
As of January 27, 2025, all Starbucks customers who enjoy their drinks in-store are eligible for free refills on brewed coffee (hot or iced) and tea (hot or iced).
The only thing you must remember is that you must order your drink “for here.” Depending on your order, you’ll receive your drink in a for-here ware (ceramic mug or glass) or use a clean personal cup.
“Well, hello! A free beverage is ALWAYS a good thing to know about! Thanks!”
There is no required wait time between your original purchase and your refill request. However:
- You must finish your original beverage before ordering a refill
- Refills cannot be requested at the same time as the initial purchase
The best part is that there is no limit to the number of refills you can request!
That means you can easily sit at your local Starbucks for a few hours and get unlimited brewed coffee for the price of your original drink.
And if that’s not enough, refills may be taken in to-go cups (or your personal cup) before leaving the store, so you can enjoy coffee throughout the day!
It is worth noting that not all Starbucks stores offer free refills; this program is only eligible at participating stores.
Therefore, confirm whether a Starbucks shop offers free refills before making your first order and expecting the rest to be on the house.
Needless to say, you cannot get Starbucks refills at drive-thrus. That is because you can’t hang around a drive-thru, and the program stipulates that you must stay in a store to score refills.
However, as noted in this section on the Starbucks customer service website, you can place your order at a drive-thru, and once you enjoy the original beverage in the café, you can get a free refill.
Talking of not leaving the store, the Starbucks free refills policy has a clause that prevents you from getting a free refill once you leave the premises.
For instance, let’s assume you bought a drink in-store. You should be eligible for unlimited refills.
However, if you step outside, even for just a few seconds, you must buy another barista-made drink to continue getting refills.
That is because Starbucks considers your visit over once you exit the premises, the reason notwithstanding.
What are Starbucks’ free refills?
As the premier coffee house in the United States, Starbucks is always looking for ways to cement its place as an integral part of American culture.
When you think about it, some of Starbucks’ competitors provide arguably better products at lower prices, yet this world-renowned coffee house remains the brand of choice for most people. How does Starbucks achieve that feat?
It is through ingenious marketing techniques, such as providing free Starbucks refills.
The concept is simple; providing its customers with free refills ensures that its cafes are always packed full of people, signaling to the rest of the population that the quality must be exemplary, thus attracting even more people.
That is why you cannot get a refill if you leave the store for whatever reason.
Nevertheless, Starbucks refills are also beneficial to customers since they allow you to spend all the time you want at Starbucks without spending more than a few bucks.
Therefore, they offer a win-win scenario for Starbucks and its customers.
If you want to learn more about why Starbucks is so popular, check out this in-depth guide.
What do you get when you ask for a Starbucks free refill?
Before we get into what you can score when you ask for a refill, let us first look at the type of drink you must purchase to be eligible for a refill.
As mentioned above, you can buy any drink to score refills!
However, beverages such as sodas, juices, and bottled water cannot get you refills. You can learn more about Starbucks’ handcrafted drinks in this article.
Nevertheless, regardless of the beverage you bought, Starbucks only offers the following drinks during refills:
- Brewed coffee – can be hot or iced
- Brewed tea – can also be hot or iced but doesn’t include lemonade
Therefore, that means if you order a Frappuccino, do not expect unlimited Frappuccino refills; instead, you’ll get all the brewed coffee or tea you want.
While you might be bummed out to discover that Starbucks’ free refills consist only of “basic” drinks, it does make sense from a profit perspective.
If Starbucks were to provide free refills for all custom beverages, the company would go out of business since such drinks take lots of time, expertise, and money to curate.
Fortunately, you don’t have to go to Starbucks and spend tens of dollars on your favorite beverage.
Consider reading my article on how to make a mean Frappuccino at home and then score unlimited free refills at Starbucks by spending only a few bucks on one drink.
Besides, the brewed coffee Starbucks offers for refills is exceptionally good. Its stellar quality results from the coffee being always fresh since it is constantly being brewed due to the high demand for refills.
Moreover, it is against Starbucks’ policy to serve coffee that has sat for more than 30 minutes.
And did you know that Starbucks has brought back its condiment bar? This way, you can easily personalize your drink with a variety of milk, creamers, and sweeteners—free of charge.
Benefits of the Starbucks Rewards program
The Starbucks Rewards program uses a star system that awards stars for every dollar you spend in Starbucks.
You will earn 2 stars for every dollar when you pay via the Starbucks app and 3 stars if you pay using Starbucks’ visa card.
You can then cash in on rewards depending on the stars you accumulate in your account.
The rewards range from free drink customization with as little as 25 stars to free handcrafted beverages, bakery items, and Starbucks merchandise when you accumulate more than 150 stars.
You can learn more about the best ways to earn stars at Starbucks by reading this in-depth article!
FAQs about Starbucks updated free refills policy
Before I close off this article, let’s go over a few common questions people have about Starbucks’ new free refill policy.
Who knows, maybe this will answer one of your questions too!
Do I need to be a Starbucks Rewards member for free refills?
No! As of January 27, 2025, all customers qualify for free refills, whether they are Rewards members or not.
What drinks qualify for free refills at Starbucks?
At Starbucks, free refills are available for hot brewed coffee, iced brewed coffee, hot tea, and iced tea.
However, Cold Brew, Nitro Cold Brew, iced tea lemonades, flavored iced teas, and Starbucks Refreshers are not eligible for refills.
Do I have to stay in-store to get a refill?
Yes. Starbucks now requires customers to consume their first drink in-store using “for here” mugs or reusable cups before requesting a refill.
Can I take my Starbucks refill to-go?
Yes! While you must drink your first cup in-store, your refill can be taken to go in a personal cup.
Has Starbucks changed its restroom and seating policies?
Yes! Starbucks has introduced a Coffeehouse Code of Conduct, requiring customers to make a purchase to use seating, restrooms, and outdoor patios.
Conclusion
Starbucks’ new free refill policy makes it easier for all customers to enjoy multiple cups of coffee or tea—without needing a Rewards membership.
However, the new in-store requirement and drink exclusions may affect how you take advantage of this perk.
What do you think of Starbucks’ updated free refill policy? Will you use it more often, or do you miss the old rules? Comment below and share your thoughts!
Learn more about Starbucks
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6 Comments
I have read some excellent stuff here! Definitely value bookmarking for revisiting I wonder how much effort you put to make the sort of excellent informative website.
Hey Amir,
That’s so great to hear! I’m indeed trying my best to make the articles as complete as possible 😊
Enjoy your coffee today!
– Jeffrey
Hello, great article but can you clarify the new refill Starbucks policy for 2025. Do you need to purchase a hand made / specialty beverage on EVERY visit to receive a free refill?
Also, doesn’t make sense that Starbucks only offer free refills at participating locations since they are not a franchise. Did you mean Starbucks doesn’t offer free refills through the drive throughs only which does makes sense since their intention is to keep the cafe ‘Full”.
Thanks again for your response. Max
Hey Max,
Great questions!
You don’t need to purchase a handcrafted or specialty beverage to qualify for a free refill. The policy applies to any in-store purchase—as long as you get your initial drink in a “for here” cup or a personal reusable cup, you can get a free refill of brewed coffee or tea during the same visit.
As for availability, while Starbucks isn’t a franchise, individual store policies can vary slightly. The refill policy applies only to in-store orders, not drive-thru, mobile, or delivery orders, since the focus is on enhancing the in-café experience.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
– Jeffrey
“Starbucks offer decent coffee” ? In the UK, I would put them at the bottom of the chains, well below Nero and just below Costa, and way, way below many of the small independent coffee shops, where, the business owner will often be the barista, and the bottle washer, and the floor sweeper (never mind also the accountant, the legal team and the health and safety representative etc!) and they will usually have more passion and care for both the product and for the customer. Of course, there will still be independent coffee shops where the barista is employed, on a low wage and just doing it for a bit of money, but many will provide the very best coffee beans, the best roasts, perfectly textured milk, and all along with a smile and some chat. We have just come back from a 2 week holiday in Canada, and we picked an independent coffee shop every day – and were never disappointed. We make a point of visiting a chain outlet at least a couple of times a year, and remain generally unimpressed. All personal opinion of course, from someone who runs his own (independent) mobile coffee bar and having worked in the coffee industry, for a small batch coffee roaster, for over 20 years.
Hi Tony,
I appreciate your perspective!
Independent coffee shops often bring a level of passion and craftsmanship that can be hard to find in larger chains. It’s great to hear that you’ve had such consistently good experiences with local roasters, especially during your travels. The personal touch and dedication from independent baristas can really make a difference in the coffee experience.
Let me know if you have any favorite spots you’d recommend!
– Jeffrey