How can I get free Starbucks drinks? Some of my favorite ways to get free Starbucks gift cards include using Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys, My Points, Inbox Dollars, and Daily Rewards. You’ll also want to take advantage of the Starbucks rewards program, which can get you free refills, free drinks on your birthday, and access to buy one get one offers.
My love for Starbucks started when I was a kid. I remember going to the bookstore with my dad and he would get me a hot chocolate.
I didn’t drink coffee yet, but I have many fond memories of reading books and sipping on Starbuck’s hot chocolate. It really was the best!
Then once I started earning my own money, I began treating myself to Starbucks and quickly realized that it can get expensive!
My favorite drink at Starbucks is their Caramel Macchiato with soy milk. Yes, their specialty drinks are pricey, but I love them. Especially when I get Starbucks drinks for free!
I know a lot of personal finance and frugal living bloggers say “stop going to Starbucks” in order to save money.
This is definitely good advice if you need to save money fast and can easily make your own coffee at home.
But getting my morning coffee makes me happy and I like to have something to look forward to. My husband and love going on coffee shop dates.
It’s a fun way to grab our favorite drink at Starbucks and walk around the neighborhood.
Instead of saying “I need to stop spending money at Starbucks”, I started thinking – “How can I afford to go to Starbucks without blowing my budget?”
That’s when I started figuring out different hacks to get free Starbucks drinks!
Thanks to these strategies – it’s been a long time since I had to pay for Starbucks out of pocket. Today I’m sharing how to get free Starbucks everyday.
If you want to know how to get a free Starbucks drink today, these tips just might be a game-changer for you, whether you live in the USA or Canada.
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Table of Contents
1. Get Free Starbucks gift cards from Swagbucks
Swagbucks is one of the best and most popular sites for earning free gift cards and money. You just need your smartphone, computer or tablet to get started.
Join Swagbucks for free (and get a free $5 welcome bonus).
After signing up, make sure to verify your email address so you can start making money right away.
There are many different ways you can earn points, such as shopping online, answering surveys, watching entertaining videos, searching the web, or playing games.
You’ll earn Swagbucks Points (SB), then redeem your points for Starbucks gift cards or money via PayPal.
Swagbucks is a legit site and it’s free to join. They currently have a TrustScore of 4.3/5 on Trust Pilot and an “A” rating from the Better Business Bureau.
But don’t just take my word for it. Below you can check out some real reviews from happy Swagbucks members!
If you’re not already a member, you can join Swagbucks for free here. You’ve got nothing to lose and the chance to earn Starbucks gift cards!
2. Join the Starbucks rewards program
Starbucks offers an excellent rewards program that can be a great way to get free drinks and food. I’ve been a member for over 10 years now and love it!
To get started, you’ll need to create a free account. Then you can order from Starbucks and pay with cash, credit card or debit card to earn Stars (virtual Starbucks points).
There are two ways you can earn Stars:
1 ★ Star per dollar – Scan your membership and pay with cash or credit card at the register. Or you can order ahead of time through the app and pay with PayPal.
2 ★ Stars per dollar – To earn Stars twice as fast, you can add money to your digital Starbucks Card using any payment option. Then scan your Starbucks card and pay in one step or order through the app.
When paying with your digital Starbucks card, you’ll want to make sure to register your gift card. This will allow you to earn Stars each time you use it.
How much money do you have to spend to get 400 stars at Starbucks?
If you use cash, debit/credit card, or PayPal, you’ll earn 1 star per dollar. This means you’ll need to spend $400 in order to get 400 stars.
If you use your digital Starbucks card or gift card, you’ll earn 2 stars per dollar. This means you’ll need to spend $200 in order to get 200 stars.
PRO TIP: Each time I get a free gift card from Starbucks, I add the card to my account and transfer the balance to my registered Starbucks Gold card. Then I use this registered card anytime I order Starbucks.
As you earn Stars, you can redeem them for free rewards at Starbucks, such as free food, drinks, and more. Below are some easy ways you can earn Stars faster!
Pay with your registered Starbucks card – You’ll earn 2 Stars per $1 spent when you load funds and pay with your registered Starbucks card in the app or in-person at participating stores.
Bonus Star challenges – Check the app or sign up to receive emails about special Starbucks promotions.
You can earn bonus Stars by either buying items off the menu during a set period of time, visiting Starbucks a specific number of days in a row during a set period of time, or visiting Starbucks a specific number of times during a set period of time.
If you complete the challenge before it expires, you’ll earn Bonus Stars!
Double Star days – Sometimes Starbucks has special days where you’ll earn twice the Stars on almost everything. This is great if you want to know how to get free Starbucks stars.
Members-only games – Sometimes Starbucks offers games where you can play for a chance to win free food, drinks, and exclusive prizes.
How do you get a free drink from Starbucks?
With Starbucks Rewards, you only need to redeem 50 Stars to get a free breweded hot coffee, tea or bakery item.
Redeeming 150 Starts will get you a free handcrafted drink, hot breakfast, or parfait.
What is free at Starbucks?
25 Stars – Customize your drink for free. (An extra espresso shot, dairy substitute, or a dash of your favorite syrup).
50 Stars – Free brewed hot coffee, bakery item, or hot tea.
150 Stars – Free handcrafted drink, hot breakfast, or parfait.
200 Stars – Free lunch sandwich, protein box, or salad.
400 Stars – Free select merchandise or at-home coffee.
3. Get free Starbucks gift cards from Branded Surveys
If you’re looking for an easy way to earn free Starbucks drinks, then consider using Branded Surveys. Instead of paying out of pocket for your favorite drink, pay for it with a free Starbucks gift card!
You can join Branded Surveys for free today and start earning free gift cards without leaving your couch.
Taking surveys can be an easy way to get rewarded with Starbucks eGift cards in your spare time. You can answer surveys while watching Netflix or during your lunch break.
After you create your free profile, you’ll be prompted to answer a few basic questions about yourself so they can match your profile to a variety of surveys. You’ll collect points for each survey you complete, which can be redeemed for free gift cards or cash via PayPal.
You can earn Starbucks cards even faster by taking daily polls, referring your friends to the platform and earning bonuses through Branded Surveys loyalty program. There are many different ways you can earn points and it’s easy to get started.
PRO TIP: The key to making the most money with surveys is to sign up for several top-rated survey sites. Then you’ll get to choose the highest-paying surveys to save time and earn more cash! My favorite legit survey sites to get free Starbucks gift cards include Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and My Points.
4. Get free gift cards from Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is one of the largest and most popular survey sites that pay cash in the USA and Canada. When you sign up to become a free member with Survey Junkie, you can take online surveys and earn Starbucks gift cards!
It only takes a few minutes to complete your profile, then you’ll be matched with surveys that are relevant to your background and interests. Select which surveys you want to do in your Survey Junkie dashboard.
Each survey takes around 5-15 minutes to complete and you’ll earn virtual points. Then you can instantly redeem your points for free Starbucks eGift cards or cash via PayPal.
If you don’t mind answering a few surveys in your spare time, this can be an easy way to earn Starbucks gift cards.
Sign up to start making money with Survey Junkie today!
5. Join Inbox Dollars to get free Starbucks
Another popular survey site to earn free Starbucks gift cards is Inbox Dollars.
As a member, you’ll get paid to voice your opinion on new products or services. You just need an email address to create your free account, then you can start answering paid surveys to earn Starbucks gift cards.
It’s very easy to make extra money with Inbox Dollars. Completing surveys is the most popular way to get free gift cards.
Other ways to make money with Inbox Dollars include cash back shopping, reading emails, watching online videos, taking polls, and playing games.
Inbox Dollars is a legit survey site and they have paid out over $60 million in cash, PayPal, and gift card rewards to its members. You can join Inbox Dollars for free here, or Daily Rewards (Canadian version) here.
If you’re serious about getting free Starbucks gift cards, you’ll want to sign up for Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, Branded Surveys, and Inbox Dollars to maximize your opportunities.
6. Get free Starbucks on your birthday
Everyone likes to get free stuff on their birthday. Here’s how to get free Starbucks on your birthday.
When you become a Starbucks Rewards member, you can receive one free handcrafted beverage OR one free food item OR one free ready-to-drink bottled beverage.
To get your free birthday reward from Starbucks, you must join Starbucks Rewards at least 7 days prior to your birthday and make at least once purchase (Star-earning transaction) prior to your birthday each year.
Your birthday reward will be automatically added to your account on your birthday and is valid ONLY on that date.
So make sure to redeem your reward on your actual birthday and don’t forget to scan your membership barcode in the app or pay with your registered Starbucks card to receive your free birthday reward.
7. Get free Starbucks when you join MyPoints
MyPoints is one of the oldest cash back sites and offers many easy ways to earn points that you can redeem for free gift cards to retailers like Starbucks or Amazon.
Plus, you’ll get a free $10 welcome bonus when you sign up today!
To get started, you can sign up for free here. You can earn points by shopping online, taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and more. Then redeem your points for free gift cards, travel miles or cash via PayPal.
Each survey has a different payout, with some offering as much as $50. Most will pay less and also take less time to complete.
There are many survey sites available, but most are not worth your time. That’s why I recommend My Points, Branded Surveys, Swagbucks, Survey Junkie and Inbox Dollars – because they’re highly rated and can be a great way to get free Starbucks drinks.
8. Use Drop to earn Starbucks gift cards
Another easy way to get free Starbucks online is to use the Drop app. This is a free cash back app that’s popular in the USA and Canada.
If you’re not already using the app, you can create a free Drop account here. Then follow the steps below to help you earn cash back quickly.
Step 1 – Link your card: Sign into your Drop account and tap Profile > Link a Card and search for your bank. Enter your information you use for online banking and your bank account will be linked. This will the be the primary card you use for shopping.
Is it safe to link my cards? Yes, it’s absolutely safe. Drop is a legit company and your personal information is not stored in their internal database or given to any third party.
Step 2 – Shop and earn points: Each time you make a purchase with one of your linked cards, you’ll earn points through the Drop app.
This means you can get rewards on your everyday purchases such as grocery shopping, taking an Uber, grabbing a snack, and more. You can also earn points from taking surveys or playing games. It’s really easy!
Step 3 – Get rewarded: Every 1,000 points is worth $1. You can redeem your points for free Starbucks gift cards or other popular stores. Your Drop points will add up quickly which can make this a great way to make extra money to get free Starbucks.
9. Get free money from cash back apps
Instead of paying out of pocket for Starbucks drinks, there are several apps you can use to earn cash back on your everyday purchases. This can be a smart way to put that extra savings towards getting a free cup of coffee at Starbucks.
PRO TIP: When making my monthly budget, I set aside money to spend at Starbucks. This is known as my monthly “Starbucks allowance”. I put some of the cash I earn from these cash back apps on my Starbucks card. This lets me enjoy Starbucks without busting my budget each month.
Rakuten – This is my go-to cash back app that I use whenever I shop online. (It’s formerly known as Ebates).
To earn cash back, you just need to create a free account, click on the store you want to shop at through Rakuten’s online shopping portal, then shop as you normally would. Within 2-3 days, you’ll see cash back in your Rakuten account.
I love Rakuten because it’s easy and free to use. You don’t have to worry about scanning receipts or using coupons. They even offer special promotions where you can earn up to 20% cash back when shopping online.
Fetch Rewards – This is another great app where you can earn cash back on everyday purchases such as groceries.
To get started, you can create your free account here. Use te app to take photos of your receipts from grocery stores and Fetch Rewards will reward you with virtual points.
Once you’ve earned enough points, you can redeem them for your choice of gift cards, such as Starbucks and other popular stores.
10. Get free refills at Starbucks
When you become a Starbucks Rewards member, you can receive free refills of hot or iced brewed coffee or tea during the same store visit at participating Starbucks stores.
This can be a great way to get free Starbucks drinks. To be eligible for a free refill, you must scan your membership barcode in the app prior to purchasing your beverage and again when you request your refill.
Or you can pay for your beverage using your registered Starbucks card and scan the same card again when you request your hot or iced brewed coffee or tea refill.
11. Take advantage of Starbucks happy hour specials
There are many simple ways to get free drinks at Starbucks, such as taking advantage of Happy Hour – buy one get one free.
Happy Hour happens every few weeks on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and it’s always BOGO. This means you can buy one handcrafted drink (grande or larger) and get the second one (of equal or lesser value) for free!
You don’t need to be a Starbucks Rewards member to participate. Just open the Starbucks app and click on the Happy Hour card in your home screen.
You can also enable push notifications for the app on your phone to receive Happy Hour alerts.
12. Make your favorite Starbucks drink at home
After spending more time at home over the past year, I’ve taught myself how to make my own handcrafted Starbucks drinks at home.
This comes in handy during the winter months when it’s simply too cold to walk to my local Starbucks.
I used some of the cash back I earned from Rakuten to save up and get a cold brew coffee maker and espresso maker.
While I still LOVE going to Starbucks, it’s surprisingly easy to make your favorite drinks at home. Starbucks even shares recipes on their website to make their popular drinks.
You can buy their coffee or espresso beans and flavored syrups, which taste amazing!
How to get free Starbucks drinks FAQs
Below are some common questions about how to get free Starbucks drinks and gift cards.
How do I get a free drink at Starbucks?
There are several ways to get a free drink at Starbucks. My favorite options to get free Starbucks are Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, and Inbox Dollars. Another good way is to join their free rewards program and you’ll receive one free drink (of your choice) on your birthday or a complimentary food item.
Is Starbucks free on your birthday?
Yes! As a Starbucks rewards member, you can get a free drink or complimentary food item as your “Birthday Reward”.
To get your free birthday reward from Starbucks, you must join Starbucks Rewards at least 7 days prior to your birthday and make at least once purchase (Star-earning transaction) prior to your birthday each year.
Your birthday reward will be automatically added to your account on your birthday and is valid ONLY on that date.
Is water free at Starbucks?
Yes, you can ask for a cup of filtered water, which is free at Starbucks. There’s no need to pay for bottled.
How can I get free Starbucks codes?
As a Starbucks rewards memeber, sometimes you can get free Starbucks star codes. Simply download the Starbucks app and join for free. Then check your offers to see what’s available.
Sometimes Starbucks will offer bonus stars with qualifying purchases, which can help you earn free drinks faster. On occasion, Starbucks will offer BOGO or half-price star codes. This is a great way to save money and get free drinks.
What can you get for free at Starbucks?
Starbucks offers free coffee and tea refills while you’re in the store. You must pay with your registered Starbucks card. You can also get free ice water. Just ask.
How much cheaper is Starbucks when you bring your own cup?
When you bring a clean personal cup to a cafe, you’ll $0.10 off at participating stores. It can be any tumbler, mug, or cold cup.
Can you get a free drink at Starbucks when you buy a tumbler?
In December, if you purchase their special brewed refill tumbler, you can get a free grande hot coffee or brewed tea between January 1 and January 31.
