Starbucks to introduce rewards card for use outside of its shops


Pretty soon, Starbucks fanatics will be able to earn rewards on purchases outside of Frappuccinos and lattes.
During its annual shareholders meeting Wednesday in Seattle, the company said that at the end of the year, customers will be able to use a prepaid Starbucks Rewards Chase Visa to earn "stars" wherever Visa cards are accepted, USA Today reports. Now, the Starbucks loyalty program gives customers stars based on their number of visits to Starbucks; and after earning 12 stars, they get a free item. Spokeswoman Linda Mills said the company will share details later about how the stars will be rewarded for purchases made with the prepaid card.
There are more than 12 million active Starbucks rewards program members in the United States, and the company announced last month it is changing the way the program works. Starting in April, points will be awarded based on the amount of money spent rather than visits made. The company also announced during the meeting it will start selling single-serving bottles of cold brew in retail stores and launching Pumpkin Spice Latte K-cups.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Why AI means it's more important than ever to check terms and conditions
In The Spotlight WeTransfer row over training AI models on user data shines spotlight on dangers of blindly clicking 'Accept'
-
Mis-sold car finance: who will be entitled to compensation
The Explainer City regulator to launch payout scheme after Supreme Court ruling spares motor industry's 'worst-case scenario'
-
Rosorange: the chic 'love child' of orange wine and rosé
The Week Recommends Peachy to look at and crisp to drink, here's to the wine of the summer
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement