Most of us can’t start the day without our regular morning brew, and since our caffeine addiction isn’t likely to go anywhere soon, why not participate in Starbucks’ all-new rewards program where you can earn rewards like free drinks and discounts?
The beloved brand now has a Star Buddies Challenge so you can get your daily dose of coffee, earn Stars on your Starbucks account and unlock adorable characters — all at the same time. You can even receive a special edition Starbucks’ Star Buddies digital card once you’ve unlocked all the characters through the mini-challenges.
For this challenge, even if you don’t have a physical card, you can quickly register for an account on the Starbucks site and get a free digital card you can use to pay for F&B and collect Stars. For those that already do have a card, just remember to link it to your Starbucks account and opt-in before you start the challenges.
If you’re curious on how you can start collecting Stars and use them to redeem rewards, here are some easy peasy ways to do so.
If you’re planning to head down to Starbucks for a drink or 2, top-up your Starbucks card beforehand on the Starbucks mobile app (iOS | Android). By loading a minimum of $20 onto your card, you can not only pay for your order more conveniently, but you’ll also get to unlock Yeni, the cool yeti, as well.
What’s more, you don’t even have to make an order – just topping up the card will do. This will earn you 5 bonus Stars.
Images courtesy of Starbucks
If loading your card wasn’t easy enough, here’s another effortless way for you to get yourself 5 bonus Stars and another character from the challenge. Just make an order worth a minimum of $10 nett in-store and you’ll unlock the Star Buddy that comes donned in a red cape, Fly.
Completing this challenge will also get you a free reusable cold cup* you can use in place of disposables, to hold your lattes daily. It’s available while stocks last, so you might want to chiong for this.
Imagine this – all you have to do is order your go-to Starbucks drink alongside one of their pastries or desserts, and you’ll clinch more Stars and a new Starbucks buddy in your account.
*Terms and conditions apply. Check out the Starbucks website for more information.
Don’t you just hate getting anxious when you forget to top-up your card and you’re already next in line, potentially holding up an impatient queue behind you? Instead of getting yourself all frazzled trying to dig around for cash, set-up auto-reload on your Starbucks account via the Starbucks Mobile app, so you’ll be able to place your order and pay without a hitch. Plus you’ll even earn 10 Stars by doing so.
The Star Buddy you’ll unlock for setting up auto-reload is Gori-B — his grumpy face a reminder of what we look like before we’ve had our first caffeine fix of the day.
Many of us are guilty of dragging our friends along on our coffee runs. Why not treat them to drinks while you’re at it and score yourself more Stars?
Purchasing 3 Venti-sized beverages on separate transactions, within the span of a week entitles you to 10 Stars and you’ll unlock the adorable Rrrex as well. This one should be a piece of cake for all Starbucks devotees.
For those of you who like to spend your mornings at Starbucks finishing up work or studying, why not order a breakfast set so you’ll get a hearty meal and a refreshing brew at the same time? Frequent Starbucks visitors who order a breakfast set on weekdays within the same week, in 2 separate transactions, get rewarded with the Star Buddy of Georgia, in all her runway-ready bagel hat glory.
Similar to the previous challenge, you’ll also gain 10 more Stars and get a step closer to earning yourself some rewards.
Last but not least on the list of challenges is to simply refer a friend via the website, which might also be the easiest way to earn Stars. Once your friend has registered and made their first purchase through the Starbucks app, you’ll get yourself 20 Stars and unlock Bearista to complete your Star Buddies collection.
Once you’ve collected all your Stars, it’s time to exchange them for well-deserved rewards. By completing at least 5 of the 6 challenges above, you stand the chance of winning 100 additional Stars on top of all the Stars you’ve received from the challenges. Complete all the challenges and voilah! – a new Starbucks’ Star Buddies digital card will be waiting for you in your account.
The multi-tier reward system lets you exchange your Stars for a range of different rewards. Here’s what you can look forward to:
20 Stars: Free drink size upgrade
40 Stars: $2 off a regular-priced handcrafted beverage
60 Stars: Free Grande handcrafted beverage
100 Stars: $10 off handcrafted beverage and/or food
For Gold members, you can even rack up 160 Stars and redeem them for either $20 off a single transaction or, 3 free Grande-sized drinks to treat yourself and your fellow Starbucks kakis.
If you’re curious about the Starbucks Rewards benefits, find out more on the Starbucks website.
The Starbucks Star Buddies Challenge will go on from 30 August 2021 to 26 September 2021, so you’ll have plenty of time to load up on your Stars and unlock as many Star Buddies as possible.
With all the free drinks and discounts you can eventually swap out the Stars for, you’ll have a valid excuse to make Starbucks your hangout spot all day, everyday.
This post was brought to you by Starbucks.
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