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Starbucks Rewards Program Changes 3/10/2026

6,031 7,613 January 30, 2026 at 01:11 AM Starbucks
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Most important part:
"Why is there a dollar limit on my Reward?
Our dollar limits are designed to provide you with choices on Reward options while also addressing some operational issues caused by excessive modifications. There are now limits of $6 on the 100 Star tier (brewed coffee or bakery), $10 at the 200 Star tier (handcrafted drinks and hot breakfast), and $16 on the 300 Star tier (sandwiches, protein boxes and whole bean coffee). There were already limits of $1 on the 25 Star tier and $20 on the 400 Star tier."

Read more at https://about.starbucks.com/starbucks-rewards-faq/

Am going to miss my customized $17+ drinks lol Frown
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Stars09 Pro
████*Sol system, Orion Spur, Milky Way*████ Joined Jun 2007 ღ ♥ (=^.^=) ♥ ღ
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Joined Jul 2008
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> bubble2 11,769 Posts
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c2nah777
01-31-2026 at 06:36 AM.
01-31-2026 at 06:36 AM.
"...some operational issues..."
Less profit. More food costs and labor.
Karenial complaints, due to screwing up complex customizations.

Remember, pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered. This is them evolving in response to hogs.

That part has no effect on me.
For me, the most important part is the loyalty tiers.

Here is the whole story, which OP should have linked to:

https://about.starbucks.com/starb...3f28f51a-0
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Last edited by c2nah777 January 31, 2026 at 06:39 AM.
Joined May 2014
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> bubble2 1 Posts
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JoshJ5797
Today at 12:48 AM.
Today at 12:48 AM.
There doesn't seem to be any incentive to pre-load the app anymore, which was the genius of the app for Starbucks. They give you more stars if you use their app to pay, which made it worth it to preload $20 of your dollars onto their app, effectively giving them control over small chunks of customers money until all of it was spent at their stores. But they've lost that on this update (which seems like more of a downdate).

They've effectively raised prices dramatically over the past 3 years and downgraded the rewards system. Which makes me more incentivized to find alternatives.

Oh, and the employees have gotten much less welcoming as well. They used to greet with a smile when customers walked in the door and engage them in small talk conversation. Now, they barely look up, let alone speak to you on purpose. And if you talk to them, they act like you're bothering them.
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Last edited by JoshJ5797 March 6, 2026 at 12:52 AM.
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