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Messing with Starbucks Rewards!

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  1. #1

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    Messing with Starbucks Rewards!

    Forget about air miles .. this one is more critical.

    New rewards program: $500 spend for a free drink.
    Previous program: Buy 12 drinks get 1 free.

    They say more "flexibility". I say "I'm getting screwed".

    Or have I read this all wrong?

    Last edited by shri; 04-11-2016 at 08:41 AM.
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  2. #2

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    Bank with Standard Chartered Priority Banking and they give you a fancy Visa infinite card that gives you free upgrades from tall to grande, grande to venti, etc. Thats a $3 saving off every drink. In fact I dont have a starbucks reward card despite visiting them often enough simply because the bank card I have conflicts with the starbucks card and I can only have one or the other.


  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by bdw:
    Bank with Standard Chartered Priority Banking and they give you a fancy Visa infinite card ...
    If I had any of that, I'd not be slumming at *bucks. I'd be at the hipster organic place next door, getting coffee that came out of a monkey's arse.

    I do get a freebie upgrade on my Citibank Visa. May be time to switch to McCafe.
    Last edited by shri; 22-08-2016 at 06:47 PM.
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  4. #4

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    The app still shows my rewards as 1 free drink for every 12 purchased. When does this new program take effect?


  5. #5

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    1st of October.


  6. #6

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    Only you are to blame.


  7. #7

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    Use freemyapps and download apps on your smartphone. Just open the apps for 30 seconds and get credit. Once you hit a certain amount you can redeem it for a USD$10 Starbucks code which you input into the US version of the Starbucks app. You can then pay with the app, so works out at nearly 2 free drinks per redeem. I've probably redeemed about a dozen or so free Starbucks drink now.


  8. #8

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    It is the principal of the thing, not the freebie part.

    Annoys me when marketing droids parrot flexibility while they are increasing the costs.

    Must get the friendly neighbourhood quant to work out a formula.

    Last edited by shri; 23-08-2016 at 09:32 AM.
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  9. #9

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    The US switched to this formula either last year or the year before. Lots of initial backlash with that switch also. However, I think for the most part that they appease(d) the masses by offering lots of bonus stars for certain purchases or multiple purchases within a specified time period. For example, I just received an email this morning from the US program (I maintain both cards) for a bonus offer of 50/100 stars if you make 2/3 purchases between Aug 23-29. Hopefully this is what the HKG program means in their "more good things to come." section. If they do follow suit it would seem that as long as one is a regular customer and has some flexibility (the occasional frap for example) in their purchases it will not be so difficult to accumulate stars, and one would definitely not need to spend $500 to score a free drink.

    shri likes this.

  10. #10

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    Ronald should really be paying me, but anyway, here we go.

    McCafe - $13/cappucino with promo of buy 4 get 1 (small drink) free

    Worst case, this means, over a course of 5 capuccino's you pay $10.4 per drink

    Best case, if you upgrade your 'free' drink to a mocha, you are getting even more value

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