Use your Starbucks points NOW ahead of major loyalty scheme change tomorrow

STARBUCKS customers have just hours left to make the most of their rewards points before a huge change comes into place. The popular coffee chain is making a change to its “Stars” reward scheme, which offers customers free food, drinks and merchandise. Come September 3, the number of stars – or points – you need to get a free item is increasing Credit: Alamy It comes as personal finance pros at MoneySavingExpert, urged customers with a stash of points to “redeem” now to “maximise what you get”. “You’ll need 20 more loyalty points (‘stars’) to claim the cheapest coffee and tea ‘freebies’ from Starbucks‘ loyalty scheme from Thursday 3 September. The changes mean you’ll need to spend more to earn the same rewards in future,” they explained. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Come September 3, the number of stars – or points – you need to get a free item is increasing. That means customers will have to spend more money at the chain to get their reward. Users have until this date, which is tomorrow, to maximise their points before they go down in value. As it stands, customers need 130 points, which takes spending £13 to achieve, to get their hands on a free filter coffee, americano or hot tea. But by tomorrow, you’ll need 150 points worth £15 of spending. The amount you need to get a free bakery item is also increasing to 350 points up from 300. Most read in Money That means customers will need to spend £35 now, instead of £30. To get your hands on a free premium drink such as a latte, mocha or frappuccino, you’ll now need to spend £60 at Starbucks, instead of £50. A Starbucks spokesperson previously told The Sun: “We always want to reward our loyal customers. Starbucks® Rewards offers members a range of benefits including Gold membership benefits, exclusive offers, member experiences and early access to selected launches. “We’re updating the number of Stars required to redeem certain Rewards from 3 September, to help ensure the programme continues to deliver value for members over the long term. “There are no changes to how members earn Stars, existing Star balances or Gold Member qualification, and we’ll continue to invest in Rewards and bring members more benefits in the future.” You can check how many points you have in the Starbucks app. Comment now