Enrolling in the Starbucks Rewards Program
Register your Starbucks card online if you already have one. If you have received a Starbucks card as a gift or purchased one for yourself, you can use it to create a Starbucks rewards account. Visit http://www.starbucks.com/rewards and enter your personal information, as well as the 16-digit identification number on your card, to register. You can register a physical gift card or an eGift card. You must have a minimum balance of $5 on your card to register.
Register with the Starbucks app if you don't have a card. If you don't already have a physical or eGift card, download the Starbucks mobile app to an iPhone or Android, then press the blue “join” button at the bottom of the screen. Enter your contact information to join the rewards program and create a virtual Starbucks card. To load money onto your virtual card, press the “cards” icon in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen. Enter your payment information, then pick a pre-set amount of cash to put on your card. To use your virtual card, press the “cards” icon on the toolbar at the bottom of your phone screen. Then, press the “Pay in Store” button in the bottom right corner of the screen. A barcode will appear, and the cashier will scan it just as they would scan a physical card.
Enter a Star code if you buy Starbucks products at other stores. If you don't have a gift card, or if you often buy Starbucks items at grocery stores or other retailers, you can find Star codes on the packaging of products like coffee beans, instant coffee, or bottled drinks. Enter this code at http://www.starbucks.com/rewards. Then, follow a series of prompts to enroll in the Rewards program. The field where you can enter your Star code is close to the bottom of the page, under the heading “Easy Ways to Join.” The prompts will guide you to select a physical or virtual Starbucks card that you will use to purchase products and accumulate rewards.
Earning Stars
Use your registered card to purchase products at Starbucks stores. Using the physical or virtual card that you just registered or created, spend money on food, drinks, or other products at participating Starbucks locations. You will earn two “Stars,” or virtual reward units, for each U.S. dollar that you spend using your card. You must use the exact card that you registered to earn stars. If you are using another card, it must be registered to the same rewards account as your original card. You can't earn Stars while loading new money on your card, or while purchasing alcoholic beverages. Products sold in other countries will earn Stars as if their value were expressed in US dollars. For instance, if you spend 1 Pound at a Starbucks location in the United Kingdom, you will earn two stars (the same amount you would have earned if you had spent 1 dollar).
Enter Star codes from products purchased at other locations. If you bought whole or ground beans, bottled drinks, or other Starbucks products from another retailer, you can use Star codes found on or inside the packaging to earn Stars. Go to http://www.starbucks.com/rewards to enter them online and redeem your Stars. You can only enter 2 Star codes online per day to earn Stars. The amount of Stars that you earn by entering Star codes from purchased products will vary depending on what you bought and how much you paid for it. Star codes expire about a year after the product's “Best by” date. Be aware of this if you're trying to enter a code from a product that you purchased a while ago.
Upload receipts from Starbucks products purchased at other locations. Instead of entering Star codes from Starbucks products that you bought at other stores, you can upload a photo of your receipt to earn Stars. You can submit your receipt up to 60 days after your purchase and still earn rewards. Make sure the entirety of the receipt is visible and legible in the picture that you upload. If not, your submission may not be approved, and you may not earn any Stars.
Earn at least 300 Stars within a year to receive your Gold card. By using any of these methods, accumulate at least 300 stars within 12 months of the day you enrolled in the Starbucks rewards program. If you reach this number, you will be eligible to receive a Gold card. Because you earn 2 stars for each US dollar you spend at Starbucks locations, you'll need to spend about $150 throughout the year to reach Gold status.
Finalizing and Maintaining Your Gold Status
Enter your mailing address online so your gold card can be sent to you. Once you earn 300 stars, log in to your Starbucks account at http://www.starbucks.com/account. You'll receive your Gold card in the mail about 4-6 weeks after updating this information. Before you receive your Gold card, you will continue to earn all the rewards associated with Gold status – including a free drink or snack every time you earn an additional 125 Stars – by using your regular, non-Gold registered Starbucks card.
Load money onto your Gold card. Contrary to popular belief, your Gold card will not arrive in the mail pre-loaded with cash. Once you receive your card, put money on it in the same manner that you would add money to any registered Starbucks card – by using your app, or logging into your account and adding cash online. Then, you'll be able to use your Gold card to continue accumulating Stars. You can easily transfer the balance of your old registered card to your new gold card by logging into your Starbucks account, selecting “Manage”, then following the transfer prompts. You can also transfer money to your new card by selecting “Pay” and then “Manage” while using your Starbucks app, or by asking a cashier at any Starbucks store to perform the transfer for you.
Continue earning Stars at the same rate. To keep your Gold status, you must earn 300 more stars every twelve months following the day you first earned your Gold card. To accomplish this, continue buying drinks and snacks as often as possible at Starbucks locations using your Gold card, or any other registered card. To earn stars for other Starbucks products you purchase outside of stores, upload your receipts or enter Star codes from the products online. This is an especially good idea if you have only been earning Stars at Starbucks locations, but are now struggling to collect enough Stars to maintain your Gold membership. Monitor your Star balance on your mobile app or by visiting http://www.starbucks.com/account to make sure you're on track to reclaim your Gold status next year.
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