Starbucks' New Rewards Program Will Let You Snag Branded Merch

By Sarah Semple

Many of us need that first cup of coffee (or three) to start the day, and that might mean hitting up your local Dunkin’ or Starbucks. While both have some killer reward programs, Starbucks might have found a way to appeal to even more coffee drinkers. Starting April 16, the Starbucks Rewards program is allowing users to not only redeem points for extra espresso shots and bakery items, but also for some branded merch. Now that’s a reward system we can get behind!

As of now, only Gold members are able to redeem points for a free drink or food item, but with the new system, anyone can redeem Star points. With every dollar you spend, you earn two Stars, so you'll have to spend a decent amount of money to reach 400. But, if you do, you can redeem them for tumblers, mugs and other as-yet unspecified merch, according to Elite Daily.

Credit: Starbucks

“Since introducing Starbucks Rewards 10 years ago, we’ve experienced tremendous growth and continued to evolve the program to meet the changing needs and purchase patterns of our customers,” Matthew Ryan, Starbucks chief marketing officer, said in a press release. “These new updates put choice in the hands of our customers and a personal touch they can only get from Starbucks.”

For Starbucks, this is a great way to boost sales. It’s no secret that Starbucks is one of the pricier places to grab a coffee, so the new program should only make the experience more rewarding for frequent buyers. Plus, it allows customers to use points towards items that they wouldn’t normally spend money on like tumblers or mugs. Ordinarily, Starbucks tumblers and mugs can cost $16 or more, so even if it means saving up points, picking from select merch is an awesome perk.