There are lots of reasons that people around the globe love Starbucks.
Their ever-so-customizable fleet of cold drinks.
Their commitment to quality and consistency.
The Rewards Program.
Well… maybe not that last one as much lately.
In this blog, we’re exploring the latest (and not-so-greatest) updates to the Starbucks Rewards program, from what they’re doing and why to how the public has been responding.
Plus, three lessons your coffee shop can take from the Starbucks Rewards program to help you keep your rewards program satisfying for your customers and successful for you.
Let’s get into it.
What you need to know about the Starbucks Rewards program
In January 2024, Starbucks announced a new sustainability initiative in support of their waste-reduction goals:
Any order could now be made in a reusable cup.
This move not only made Starbucks the “first national coffee retailer to accept reusable cups” for drive-thru and mobile order, but also leveled the playing ground for all of the brand’s customers.
Previously, in-store orders were the only ones eligible to be made in a customer’s personal, reusable cup, placing drive-thru and in-app users firmly in the “single-use” lane. It also meant that only people who ordered in-store received the 10-cent discount Starbucks offered for using a reusable cup.
With these new, sustainability-focused changes, everyone got to enjoy the same benefits from Starbucks — especially Rewards members, who earned an extra 25 Stars just for bringing their own cups!
Starbucks’ Chief Sustainability Officer, Michael Kobori called this change “tangible progress toward the future,” reflecting their customers’ passion for the planet and willingness to “give more than [they] take.”
So why did the Starbucks Rewards program change, then?
How (and why) did the Starbucks Rewards program change?
At the end of May, members of the Starbucks Rewards program got an email announcing their “Personal cup benefits” would be changing.
Effective June 24, 2025, 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.
Now, while this change may seem a bit out of the blue, it’s actually part of a bigger strategy led by Starbucks’ CEO Brian Niccol.
Earlier this year, Niccol launched a brand-new marketing strategy 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).
So, while it’s safe to say Starbucks leadership feels pretty good about this move…
How are the brand’s most loyal customers responding to the Starbucks Rewards program change?
To put things simply: not good.
How are people responding to the Starbucks Rewards program change?
The problem with this Starbucks Rewards program change is that, at first glance, it seems like an alright deal.
Double the Rewards on one order? That must be better than a flat 25 stars, right?
Not quite.
One Reddit user explained that, for them, this change cuts their Rewards earnings in half.
“My 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’ll only be earning about 18 stars a day. Big change. This sucks.”
Another Reddit user explained that their average Starbucks order isn’t big enough to warrant any genuine earnings from Double the Rewards.
“Unless 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.”
So, are customers unhappy about the reduction in Stars? Of course.
But people’s issue with the Starbucks Rewards program change is far bigger than just the reduction in Rewards themselves.
Some die-hard customers feel betrayed by a brand they’ve consistently been loyal to.
“Once again, money wins and loyalty gets burned,” one Reddit user said. Another said it seems like “Starbucks doesn’t want customers [anymore],” and that there’s no reason to “show any kind of priority to Starbucks at this point.”
Other loyal customers are calling out Starbucks (and Niccol) for being hypocritical, with the Rewards change directly contradicting their sustainability goals.
One Reddit user asked, “Do you think they ever really cared about [sustainability]?” with others referencing the change’s misalignment with Starbucks’ mission.
“I thought we wanted to ENCOURAGE people to bring in reusable cups, not contribute to the plastic waste epidemic with [single-use] cups,” said this Reddit user. “Did you forget that that was part of the mission statement, Brian?”
No matter which angle you look at it from, the customer response has been overwhelmingly negative, leaving (previously) loyal Rewards Members wondering what Niccol is “going to take away next.”
3 things coffee shop owners can learn from the Starbucks Rewards program changes
1 — Keep your rewards program emotionally satisfying
When customers sign up for a rewards program, of course they want to be rewarded… but it’s bigger than that, too.
Customers want to feel seen, heard, and valued as actual people (not just spenders), which they’ll gladly reward you back with time and time again.
“If I can make a customer feel like they are the most important customer — and do that over and over again — they’ll amplify,” explains Tal Keshet, VP of gifting platform Snappy. “They’ll share the brand, they’ll write the review, they’ll become an advocate.”
And that’s emotionally satisfying for everyone.
2 — Make sure your rewards program aligns with your values
Today’s consumers care more about a brand’s values (and whether those values align with their personal ones) than ever before.
“Consumers don’t expect brands to be perfect,” says Mitchel White, Managing Director of marketing agency Reward. “They understand that change to be better takes time, but they also expect brands to be transparent about where they’re at currently.”
So, if people support your coffee shop because you said you value environmentalism — as in you actively support environmentalism right here, right now — then you better make sure you stick to it.
3 — Make your rewards program better over time (not worse)
When your customers sign up for your rewards program, it’s because they like your offer.
So, when you change that offer (especially for the worse)… it has consequences.
“If you take something away, people don’t forget. And if you bring it back later? They remember how easily you took it away the first time,” says Timothy Scachill, Marketing Director of the Columbia-Willamette YMCA. “[Rewards] programs aren’t just about rewards. They build trust.”
Because here’s the truth:
Whether it’s a skill you’re working on or the rewards program you just joined, nobody signs up for things to get worse over time.
