Their commitment to quality and consistency<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Rewards Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Well\u2026 maybe not that last one as much lately.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this blog, we\u2019re exploring the latest (and not-so-greatest<\/em>) updates to the Starbucks Rewards program, from what they\u2019re doing and why to how the public has been responding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Plus, three lessons your coffee shop can take from the Starbucks Rewards program to help you keep your rewards program<\/a> satisfying for your customers and <\/em>successful for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s get into it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In January 2024<\/a>, Starbucks announced a new sustainability initiative in support of their waste-reduction goals<\/a>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Any order could now be made in a reusable cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This move not only made Starbucks the \u201cfirst national coffee retailer to accept reusable cups<\/a>\u201d for drive-thru and mobile order, but also leveled the playing ground for all of the brand\u2019s customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Previously, in-store orders were the only ones eligible to be made in a customer\u2019s personal, reusable cup, placing drive-thru and in-app users firmly in the \u201csingle-use\u201d lane. It also meant that only people who ordered in-store received the 10-cent discount<\/a> Starbucks offered for using a reusable cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With these new, sustainability-focused changes, everyone got to enjoy the same benefits from Starbucks \u2014 especially <\/em>Rewards members, who earned an extra 25 Stars<\/a> just for bringing their own cups! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Starbucks\u2019 Chief Sustainability Officer, Michael Kobori called this change \u201ctangible progress toward the future<\/a>,\u201d reflecting their customers\u2019 passion for the planet and willingness to \u201cgive more than [they] take<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So why did the Starbucks Rewards program change, then? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of May, members of the Starbucks Rewards program got an email announcing their \u201cPersonal cup benefits\u201d would be changing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Effective June 24, 2025<\/a>, Starbucks Rewards members using a personal cup would now receive Double Stars on their order instead of the flat 25-Star Reward from years prior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, while this change may seem a bit out of the blue, it\u2019s actually part of a bigger strategy led by Starbucks\u2019 CEO Brian Niccol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this year, Niccol launched a brand-new marketing strategy<\/a> designed to get Starbucks back on track. The strategy has three main pillars: refocus on quality coffee, reduce discount-driven, and include audiences beyond just Starbucks Rewards members (and this change falls firmly under that second one). <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, while it\u2019s safe to say Starbucks leadership feels pretty good about this move\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n How are the brand\u2019s most loyal customers responding to the Starbucks Rewards program change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n To put things simply: not good. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem with this Starbucks Rewards program change is that, at first glance, it seems like an alright deal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Double the Rewards on one order? That must<\/em> be better than a flat 25 stars, right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not quite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One Reddit user<\/a> explained that, for them, this change cuts their Rewards earnings in half.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy drink is $4.75 (plus tax) and I get it daily. So I usually get 9 stars and the 25 extra. So for spending $4.75 I get 34 stars a day when I bring my cup. Now I\u2019ll only be earning about 18 stars a day. Big change. This sucks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another Reddit user<\/a> explained that their average Starbucks order isn\u2019t big enough to warrant any genuine earnings from Double the Rewards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUnless you currently do two or more separate personal cup transactions, anything over a $13 (USD) order will better the 25-star promo. But that eliminates 95% of my orders that are just one drink.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, are customers unhappy about the reduction in Stars? Of course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But people\u2019s issue with the Starbucks Rewards program change is far bigger than just the reduction in Rewards themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some die-hard customers feel betrayed by a brand they\u2019ve consistently been loyal to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOnce again, money wins and loyalty gets burned,\u201d <\/em>one Reddit user<\/a> said. Another said it seems like \u201cStarbucks doesn\u2019t want customers [anymore]<\/a>,\u201d and that there\u2019s no reason to \u201cshow any kind of priority to Starbucks at this point<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other loyal customers are calling out Starbucks (and Niccol) for being hypocritical, with the Rewards change directly contradicting their sustainability goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One Reddit user asked, \u201cDo you think they ever really cared about [sustainability]<\/a>?\u201d with others referencing the change\u2019s misalignment with Starbucks\u2019 mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI thought we wanted to ENCOURAGE people to bring in reusable cups, not contribute to the plastic waste epidemic with [single-use] cups,\u201d said this Reddit user<\/a>. \u201cDid you forget that that was part of the mission statement, Brian?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter which angle you look at it from, the customer response has been overwhelmingly<\/em> negative, leaving (previously) loyal Rewards Members wondering what Niccol is \u201cgoing to take away next.<\/a>\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n When customers sign up for a rewards program, of course they want to be rewarded\u2026 <\/em>but it\u2019s bigger than that, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Customers want to feel seen, heard, and valued as actual people<\/em> (not just spenders), which they\u2019ll gladly reward you back with time and time again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I can make a customer feel like they are the most important customer \u2014 and do that over and over again \u2014 they\u2019ll amplify,\u201d explains Tal Keshet<\/a>, VP of gifting platform Snappy. \u201cThey\u2019ll share the brand, they\u2019ll write the review, they\u2019ll become an advocate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s emotionally satisfying for everyone. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today\u2019s consumers care more about a brand\u2019s values (and whether those values align with their personal<\/em> ones) than ever before. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cConsumers don\u2019t expect brands to be perfect,\u201d says Mitchel White<\/a>, Managing Director of marketing agency Reward. \u201cThey understand that change to be better takes time, but they also expect brands to be transparent about where they\u2019re at currently.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if people support your coffee shop because you said you value environmentalism \u2014 as in you actively support environmentalism <\/em>right here, right now \u2014 then you better make sure you stick to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When your customers sign up for your rewards program, it\u2019s because they like <\/em>your offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, when you change that offer (especially for the worse)<\/em>… it has consequences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you take something away, people don\u2019t forget. And if you bring it back later? They remember how easily you took it away the first time,\u201d says Timothy Scachill<\/a>, Marketing Director of the Columbia-Willamette YMCA. \u201c[Rewards] programs aren\u2019t just about rewards. They build trust.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because here\u2019s the truth: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether it\u2019s a skill you\u2019re working on or the rewards program you just joined, nobody <\/em>signs up for things to get worse<\/em> over time. <\/p>\n\n\nWhat you need to know about the Starbucks Rewards program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"starbucks](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-Covers-28-1024x577.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow (and why) did the Starbucks Rewards program change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How are people responding to the Starbucks Rewards program change?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"starbucks](\"https:\/\/www.getcraver.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Blog-Covers-29-1024x577.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3 things coffee shop owners can learn from the Starbucks Rewards program changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1 \u2014 Keep your rewards program emotionally satisfying <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2 \u2014 Make sure your rewards program aligns with your values<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3 \u2014 Make your rewards program better over time (not worse) <\/h3>\n\n\n\n