As I finish up finals week, I've spent a lot of time in Starbucks these past few weeks studying and writing. When I'm there, I spend a few hours at a time getting work done. Naturally, my drink is gone by the time I leave, but thanks to the free refills, I can go back for more or switch to something else.
Sitting in Starbucks inspired this article because I barely saw anyone take advantage of this! I felt like I was the only one - when I told my friends and family about it everyone surprised. Now, I don't go crazy. I drink water in between and usually only get one refill, but it's so worth it if you're in productive mode because it motivates you to stay there and keep working.
Now, there are some terms and conditions, but it's still a great deal:
You have to be a rewards member in order to get free refills, but all you have to do is open up a points card.
It's not a credit card, so you can just add money as you go.
You also have to use your rewards card (free drink on your birthday and free item every 125 stars) to buy your drink and present your card again when going up for a refill.
Don't get crazy, refills don't include fancy drinks like Frappuccinos, lattes or macchiatos. Refills include "brewed coffee (hot, iced coffee or cold brew), and tea (hot, or iced) during the same store visit regardless of the original beverage at participating Starbucks stores." This means your first drink can be whatever you want, and your still eligible to receive refills on coffees and teas, even if you didn't start off with that.
You can only get refills during the same visit, which means once you leave the store, you can't come back and get a refill. You have to be sitting in Starbucks in order to receive them. I think this is pretty fair considering how much I go to Starbucks to get work done. If this were a less restricted benefit, it wouldn't be healthy and people would take advantage of it. The last thing I need is free refills on any beverage with no restrictions!
Lastly, I should add that they're completely free if you're a gold member (which I am, it really doesn't take that long to reach gold status), and .50c if you're a regular rewards member. It automatically picks up on their machine whether or not to charge the .50c because their cash system recognizes your status when you swipe. Every time I've gone they say 50c, but then it never goes through and charges my card since I'm a gold member.
Remember to bring your own reusable cup and help reduce unnecessary waste and save .10c while doing it, too!
