how to get free starbucks

This site contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our disclaimers page for more information.

I’ve been a Starbucks addict for a while now- I’m also the type of person who needs their morning coffee, so those few dollars every day add up fast.

Although I can’t live without coffee, I’m also ALL about saving money. 

So as any long-time Starbucks lover would do, I’ve found a few ways to get my coffee fix for free. 

Here’s how you can get free drinks at Starbucks!

Does Starbucks give out free drinks?

Yes, they do! It is definitely possible to get your coffee for free at Starbucks. 

And there are more than a few ways to do so. 

I’m a big believer in being mindful of your spending habits- but I also think treating yourself is so important. 

The good news is you can be a conscious spender and enjoy your morning cuppa. 

How to get free Starbucks with the Starbucks Rewards Program

Even if you only make it in to Starbucks every now and again, it’s still worth it to sign up for their rewards program. 

It’s free to sign up, you earn points (called Stars) on all of your purchases, and you get to redeem your points for more than just coffee! The points you earn can also be used for things like flavour shots, breakfast sandwiches, and travel mugs. 

How many points do you need to get a free drink at Starbucks?

You’ll need 50 points for a free hot brewed coffee or tea.

You’ll get 1 Star for every dollar spent– and if you preload money or a gift card to the Starbucks app, you’ll get double the points for every dollar you spend. 

Here’s what you can get with your points:

25 Stars – Customize any drink

50 Stars – Brewed hot coffee, tea, or bakery item

150 Stars – Handcrafted drink, hot breakfast, or parfait

250 Stars – Protein box or sandwich

400 Stars – Select merchandise or at-home coffee

To double up on your points, consider downloading their app- as you can see, the points can earn you rewards quickly! 

Can you get free refills on Starbucks drinks?

Absolutely! If you’re like me and one cup just doesn’t cut it, this is such an easy way to get free coffee.

If you have a Starbucks card or their mobile app, you can get free refills of brewed coffee or tea during the same visit (once you leave the store, your visit has ended and free refills won’t be possible). 

You’ll simply need to use the card or app for your initial purchase (which you can ALSO earn points on with the Rewards Program– win-win!). 

Can you get a free birthday drink at Starbucks?

Birthday freebies may be the very best kind of freebies! 

Make sure you visit Starbucks on your special day, because they do offer a free birthday drink to members of their rewards program. Your birthday reward can actually be almost anything in store, including food and bottled beverages.

It’s as easy as stopping in on your birthday with your Starbucks card or mobile app in hand. 

It’s important to note that you have to have been a member of the rewards program for at least 7 days in order to get a free birthday reward, and you need to have already made one purchase that earned you points. 

Does Starbucks have a Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) program?

Starbucks has a BOGO program that they call their Happy Hour. 

This happens on select Thursdays from 2pm-7pm- essentially, you can buy one drink and get another (of equal or lesser value) for free!

To get notified of every Happy Hour, make sure you download their app (this is the best way to get notified before every one). 

How to Earn Free Starbucks Gift Cards with Swagbucks

Have you heard of Swagbucks before? 

Swagbucks is one of my favourite ways to earn free gift cards online- and it’s so easy! 

You get rewarded for things you’re already doing everyday, like surfing the web and shopping online. Plus you can earn even more rewards by answering survey questions or watching videos.

You earn points called SB that can be redeemed for gift cards. This isn’t even just a Starbucks hack- you can earn gift cards to other popular stores on Swagbucks too (like Walmart and Amazon). 

Swagbucks is one of the most well-known rewards companies (they’ve paid out over $503,391,271 in rewards to their members!)– and it takes less than a minute to sign up. 

You can check out Swagbucks here!

Earn Free Starbucks by redeeming rewards and points!

When I have some down time, I often do a few surveys to earn rewards. 

Leo is one of my favourite survey programs- I get surveys to take consistently and it’s really easy to redeem my points.

You can redeem your points for gift cards, including for Starbucks gift cards.

Survey Junkie is another great option where you can redeem your points for gift cards to popular retailers, Starbucks included! You can sign up for them here.

It’s free and easy to sign up for both, and you’ll get access to more surveys by signing up for more than one, so this is a no-brainer if you like earning rewards!

Get free Starbucks gift cards with Drop

You can earn reward points and turn them straight into Starbucks gift cards.

Drop is a rewards program that links to your debt or credit card- you’ll then earn points every time you shop at your favourite retailers, which can be turned into gift cards for Starbucks (or other major retailers). 

Confession: I LOVE Drop!

It’s a completely effortless way to earn rewards, since it automatically tracks your spending and adds up your reward points.

Again, this is another no-brainer if you want to earn freebies the easy way!

Sign up for Drop here and link a card to start earning rewards!

How can you save more money on coffee?

It’s not free, BUT you can save even MORE money by making your Starbucks at home!

I love their medium roast, which you can find in the coffee section of most grocery stores (I usually buy mine at Costco to save even more money).

P.S. if you don’t already make coffee at home or want to start making it more, I am IN LOVE with this Keurig coffee maker! I’ve had mine for over a year now. It’s great because:

  1. When my boyfriend and I want to relax with a few cups on the weekend, we can brew a pot

2. When I only want coffee for myself, I can easily brew a single cup (without feeling like I need to go out and buy one). I use this re-usable pod that I put Starbucks coffee in whenever I need a pick-me-up at home. 

This purchase has seriously saved us so much money over the past year!

There are also SO MANY cute Starbucks coffee mugs and tumblers! Take a look at what’s available on Amazon here. 

I love the simple design of this travel mug– it would be great for work or school (or if you’re like me, sitting on my desk while I’m working from home 🙂 )

Have you tried out any of these tips? Share your favourite way to get free Starbucks below!