Starbucks offers a loyalty program called Starbucks Rewards which allows customers to earn points towards free drinks and food. The program has different tiers – green, gold and platinum – with increasing benefits. Reaching gold level unlocks additional rewards and perks compared to the basic green level.
What are the Starbucks Rewards tiers?
The Starbucks Rewards program has 3 tiers:
- Green – This is the entry free tier when you first sign up for Starbucks Rewards. You earn 2 stars per $1 spent.
- Gold – You reach gold status after earning 300 stars in a year. Gold members earn 2 stars per $1 spent and get a free drink reward for every 125 stars earned.
- Platinum – You reach platinum status after earning 600 stars in a year. Platinum members earn 3 stars per $1 spent and get a free drink reward for every 75 stars earned.
What are the gold level perks?
Reaching gold status unlocks the following rewards and benefits:
- Free drink rewards – You get a free drink for every 125 stars earned. This allows you to get free drinks more frequently than at the green level.
- Free refills – You can get free refills on brewed coffee and tea in-store.
- Birthday reward – You get a free food or drink reward sent to your account on your birthday.
- Free brewed refills – You can get free refills on brewed coffee and tea when you use a reusable cup.
- Exclusive offers – You get access to special gold level promotions and offers.
How do you reach gold status?
To reach gold level, you need to earn 300 stars within one calendar year. Here are some tips to quickly earn stars and get to gold status:
- Use the Starbucks app to pay – You earn 2 stars per $1 spent when you pay with the app.
- Reload your card – Earn 2 stars per $1 when you reload money onto your Starbucks card through the app.
- Order more expensive drinks – Drinks with more customizations and additions earn more stars.
- Double star days – Participate in 2x star days and other promotions to maximize stars earned.
- Sign up for email offers – Redeem email offers for bonus stars.
- Link other accounts – Linking Uber Eats or Spotify accounts earns bonus stars.
Here is an example progression to reach 300 stars in 3 months by spending $150/month:
| Month | Spending | Stars Earned | Running Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | $150 | 300 stars | 300 stars |
| February | $150 | 300 stars | 600 stars |
| March | $150 | 150 stars | 750 stars |
As you can see, spending $150 per month for 3 months earns enough stars to reach gold status.
What drink rewards do you get at gold level?
At the gold tier, you get a free drink reward for every 125 stars earned. Here are some examples of popular free drink rewards you can get:
| Drink | Stars Needed |
|---|---|
| Caffe latte | 125 stars |
| Cappuccino | 125 stars |
| Caramel macchiato | 125 stars |
| Iced coffee | 125 stars |
| Mocha Frappuccino | 125 stars |
You can redeem your free drink rewards for any handcrafted drink under $8. That gives you a lot of affordable options to choose from.
What food rewards can you get at gold level?
Unfortunately, free food rewards are not part of the gold level benefits. You need to reach platinum status to earn free food rewards. However, there are sometimes promotions that offer bonus food rewards to gold members. And you can use your free drink rewards to get select food items, such as:
- Breakfast sandwich or protein box with a bakery item – 150 stars
- Yogurt or fruit cup with a bakery item – 150 stars
- Lunch sandwich or protein box with a bakery item – 200 stars
So while you can’t regularly earn free food at the gold tier, keep an eye out for special offers open to gold members.
How long do gold benefits last?
Your Starbucks gold status and benefits are valid for one full calendar year. To maintain gold status, you need to re-earn 300 stars in the following calendar year. If you don’t reach 300 stars the next year, you will drop back down to the green tier.
For example, if you reached gold status on March 15, 2023, your benefits would be valid until March 14, 2024. You would then need to earn 300 stars again between January 1 – December 31, 2024 to maintain gold status for another year.
Conclusion
Reaching Starbucks Rewards Gold status unlocks nice perks like free drinks, refills, and birthday rewards. To qualify, you need to earn 300 stars in one calendar year through purchases and promotions. Gold members get a free drink every 125 stars, allowing you to redeem rewards frequently. While gold status takes some spending to reach, the freebies and special offers can make it worthwhile for regular Starbucks customers.