Today is your last day to redeem Starbucks stars before devaluation
In a world where airlines and hotel devalue their points and miles programs almost yearly, it was only a matter of time before Starbucks followed suit. Today is your last day to redeem stars at their current values. Tomorrow, April 16th, certain rewards jump in price between 20 and 60 percent.
Current Values
As it stands in the current Starbucks rewards program, you can get virtually anything on the Starbucks menu for a flat 125 stars. Earning stars is easy. Each dollar is 2 stars, so for spending $62.50 you get a free reward.
If you want a lemon loaf that costs $3, that’ll be 125 stars. How about that Chicken and Cauliflower salad that is almost $10 with tax? 125 stars!
I suppose it makes sense that this could not be maintained forever, so Starbucks is making some changes.
New Values (offering choice?!)
In arguably the best marketing speak ever, Starbucks is now offering you choice and flexibility (wait, didn’t I have that before?) to redeem your rewards.
While some prices are going down, others are jumping 60%. Here’s a rundown of the new values and pricing:
25 stars gets you a substitution or amendment to your drink. That extra shot, coconut milk, or syrup…? Only 25 stars! Seems like no one should ever redeem their stars for this.
50 stars might hold some of the best value. If you’re a fan of brewed coffee, getting a refill is a breeze. They’ll usually refill your hot water on the tea for another go, and certain bakery items go for $4 so you can get great star deals here.
150 stars is the next jump with no middle ground. Here you can find all the handcrafted beverages and breakfast sandwiches for 20% more than the previos cost. Considering that a lot of the breakfast sandwiches are $4-5, this is a poor redemption value. If you’re going for a drink, make sure to make it a venti and add all the shots and syrups you can muster.
200 stars is my pain point. As someone who used to order a bunch of salads, this one hurts. A 60% increase over current values, you can also get a lunch sandwich or a protein box for the same redemption price.
And for those with nothing better to do, for every $200 you spend you can get a mug. Hooray…
Oh wait, you can also get a bag of coffee that you could also pick up at your local grocery store for 1/2 the price.
Devaluations suck
It’s never good to see prices go up, and much like Venezuela you wouldn’t expect to see a 60% price increase overnight but nevertheless, it’s happening.
Since they announced these changes a month ago, I can only imagine the number of people who have been dumping stars faster than Dukakis for president bumper stickers.
Go forth and redeem today my intrepid travelers. Enjoy your salads 🙂
