3 ways I always get free Starbucks (legally!)
I don’t order Starbucks every day. But when I do treat myself once or twice a week, I get my drinks for free! And you can too!
The first way I get free Starbucks is super simple, and I’m honestly surprised every time I talk to someone who is a Starbucks regular but doesn’t do this one trick: use the Starbucks app!
1. Install and use the Starbucks App
The Starbucks app is free, it’s easy to use, and you don’t have to have a Starbucks credit card. Simply set up your account with an email address and start earning Stars (aka points).
You can redeem Stars for free drinks and food. They often run promotions during the week, like happy hours, where they will give you extra points for coming in during certain times.
I don’t have a Starbucks credit card. I don’t even have my credit card tied to the app. I don’t need to because I always have a Starbucks gift card linked to my account that pays for the orders. And I earn FREE drinks from those FREE gift cards.
That leads to my second tip on how I get free Starbucks drinks.
I earn free Starbucks gift cards! Yes, really. I earn gift cards all the time.
How do I earn free Starbucks gift cards? I use two different apps that pay out in gift cards: Crowdtap and Ibotta
2. Earn Starbucks gift cards with Crowdtap
Crowdtap is a free app that connects you to simple, quick surveys. You can do these surveys on your phone in seconds. Yes, seconds. I often open the app and take answer questions while waiting in line or in between appointments. Whenever I urge to scroll mindlessly on social media, I open my Crowdtap app instead!
In Crowdtap, you earn points for each question you answer. Most questions are simple multiple-choice questions like “What’s your favorite brand of cereal from the ones listed below?” or “How many pets do you have?” I honestly never have to think hard to answer any of the questions.
Marketing agencies and big brands use the Crowdtap platform to perform market research. So it’s worth money to them to get honest, unbiased feedback from consumers like you!
When you reach 2,000 points, you can start redeeming those points for various gift cards. I usually choose Starbucks. I often wait until I have at least 5,000 points accumulated before I redeem. Earning that level of points is easy as well. I often accumulate 5,0000 – 10,000 points (worth $25-$50) in a single month without thinking much about it. People with more free time to spend on the app can probably receive much more. But for me, it’s a fun way to pass the time and earn some easy Starbucks gift cards.
The second way I routinely earn free Starbucks gift cards is with the app Ibotta.
3. Earn Starbucks gift cards with Ibotta
Ibotta is a rebate app. When you make purchases of specific brands or products, you take a photo of your receipt and get paid a rebate on those items. I mainly use Ibotta for grocery shopping, but they have a bunch of different categories and products available. And the inventory of available rebates changes all the time too. They often roll out new rebates, which is nice because you can get rebates on a great variety of items you’re likely buying already!
When you reach $20 in rebates, you can cash out either by Paypal or by choosing a gift card. Again, I typically chose a Starbucks gift card because it’s extra money from my grocery budget that I get to treat myself to a fun beverage. I usually wait until I have around $50 before I cash out. I don’t need the money urgently, and it’s a nice bonus to be able to cash out a $50 gift card to reload my Starbucks app! Like Crowdtap, I find it easy to earn money quickly as well. I typically cash out every other month.
