Starbucks Rewards (re)introduces elite status tiers, including new perks and top-tier Reserve level
Starbucks fans, big news: The Starbucks Rewards program is rolling out some major updates, including a return of elite status tiers.
As part of a broader push to reengage customers and strengthen loyalty, Starbucks is revamping its rewards program by moving away from awarding points to everyone equally based on how you pay for your latte and toward a tiered system that gives its most loyal members the most points and perks.
And if this sounds familiar, that's because it's not the first time Starbucks has structured its program this way. Until 2019, Starbucks had Green and Gold status tiers in the U.S. Then, it moved to the everyone-is-treated-equal rewards program, which has been in place for the past seven years.
But over time, opportunities emerged to improve the program — such as giving some customers more time to enjoy their birthday reward, offering Stars that don't expire and rewarding the most frequent customers more than the once-a-year visitor, according to Tressie Lieberman, Starbucks' chief brand officer.
As Starbucks looks to deepen engagement with its more than 35 million active members and address those common requests, the company will, effective March 10, bring back its Green and Gold status tiers from the vault — while also introducing a new, top-tier status: Reserve.
Here's what we know about the upcoming Starbucks status tiers and Starbucks' plans for the rates at which you earn and redeem Stars.
Related: The best credit cards to use at Starbucks
Starbucks reintroduces status tiers
Beginning March 10, you will be able to unlock more Starbucks Rewards perks as you earn more points in the program in these three status tiers.
Starbucks Green status
Starbucks Green is the entry-level status you get as a Starbucks Rewards member.
Green members are eligible for the much-beloved birthday reward that can be enjoyed on their actual birthday, will get personalized offers and can enjoy "free Mod Mondays" where they'll get one complimentary beverage modification on one select Monday per month. Green members will earn 1 Star per dollar spent on purchases. Green members will also get early access to select menu items.
For Green members, Stars are valid for six months, but members can extend the life of their Stars for a month by completing a monthly qualifying activity, such as redeeming a reward, making a purchase or reloading a Starbucks gift card.
Starbucks Gold status
Starbucks Gold status is unlocked by earning 500 Stars within a rolling 12-month period.
At a dollar to 1 Star ratio, that is roughly the equivalent of spending $500 at Starbucks in 12 months, which works out to an average of just $10 per week. In other words, if you get an average of two Starbucks items per week, you'll likely be a Starbucks Gold member.
Gold members get several upgraded perks over Green members, including the ability to enjoy their birthday reward within a seven-day window instead of just on their actual birthday, which is a nice upgrade for those who have trouble cashing in that valuable reward on one specific day.
Gold members will also get access to at least four double Star days and will earn Stars 20% faster than Green members at a rate of 1.2 Stars per dollar spent.
On top of that, their Stars won't expire, which is a big improvement over the current six-month expiration for all members.
Starbucks Reserve status
Starbucks Reserve is a brand-new top-tier status reserved just for Starbucks die-hards who likely have near-daily Starbucks visits (or multi-item visits every few days), as it requires earning 2,500 Stars over a rolling 12-month period.
But in exchange for their coffee-fueled loyalty, these Starbucks top-tier elite members will enjoy a 30-day window to redeem their birthday reward, get access to more double Star days (at least, six more than at the Gold tier), will receive invites to special events and enjoy access to opportunities to try and get all-expenses-paid trips to places like Tokyo, Milan and Costa Rica to celebrate culture around the world.
Starbucks Reserve members also earn at a rate 70% higher than entry-level members at 1.7 Stars per dollar spent, and, like at the Gold level, Stars won't expire for Reserve members.
And in case you are into enjoying your elite status with a physical card, Starbucks shared with TPG that its Reserve members will also get a physical card flaunting their status.
Related: Earn more points and miles with Uber, Lyft and Starbucks apps
How to earn Starbucks Stars faster
Starbucks Rewards members will be able to earn Stars faster than the above rates by digitally reloading a Starbucks gift card. For every $30 or more you reload on a card, you will earn 10 Stars, and for a digital reload of $50 or more, you will earn 25 Stars.
Remember, you can also link your Starbucks account to Delta SkyMiles and Marriott Bonvoy to earn even more rewards.
What happens to Starbucks Stars redemption rates?
Good news: Starbucks isn't changing the core redemption rates when you go to cash in Starbucks Stars for hot breakfast sandwiches, cold brews and more. Here's a refresher of the current redemption rates, along with information on the one new redemption that's being added to the lineup as part of the revamp.
- 25 points: Drink modification with extras like an additional espresso shot or your favorite syrup (up to a dollar in value)
- 60 points (new reward): $2 off any purchase
- 100 points: Brewed hot or iced coffee or tea, a bakery item or a packaged snack, among other options (up to $6 in value)
- 200 points: Handcrafted drink (cold brew, lattes and more) or hot breakfast item (up to $10 in value)
- 300 points: Sandwich, protein box or at-home coffee (up to $16 in value)
- 400 points: Starbucks merchandise, such as a signature cup, a drink tumbler or your choice of coffee merchandise (up to $20 in value)
How does this compare to the current Starbucks Rewards program?
The ability to offer longer windows to use that much-loved birthday reward and unlock nonexpiring Stars at the Gold and Reserve tiers is great news.
And for those very frequent customers who unlock top-tier Reserve status, it's pretty much all good news.
However, there is a wrinkle for some who will come in at the Green and Gold levels on the earnings side.
Currently, all Starbucks customers in the U.S. earn 1 Star per dollar spent when scanning their barcode in the app and then paying with cash, credit or debit cards or mobile wallets. So, for customers who don't load or reload Starbucks gift cards, the ability to earn 20% to 70% more Stars at the Gold and Reserve tiers is an improvement on the earning rates.
However, the current program gives all U.S. customers the chance to earn 2 Stars per dollar spent by loading funds to a digital Starbucks gift card and using that digital Starbucks card in the app or a registered physical Starbucks card in stores.
For those customers who have been earning 2 Stars per dollar spent by loading their Starbucks gift card, the new program that rolls out in March could result in fewer Stars earned.
At the Green and Gold levels, where you will earn 1 or 1.2 Stars per dollar in the new program, respectfully, even with the 25 Stars that you can earn when reloading at least $50 to your Starbucks card, your earnings will be reduced over the current 2 Stars per dollar amount if you were previously earning 2 Stars per dollar by using that payment method.
To put math to it, under the new structure, a Gold member reloading and spending $50 would earn 85 Stars total: 60 Stars from spending at 1.2 Stars per dollar, plus a 25-Star reload bonus on the $50. That 85 total Stars, compared to earning 100 Stars under the current system (if you reload $50 and spend on a gift card), results in a net loss of 15 Stars per $50 spent. Even when reframed as an effective potential earn of 1.7 Stars per dollar spent at the Gold level, the math still comes out behind today's earning rates at both the Green and Gold tiers for those who reload.
At the top-tier Reserve level, you could actually come out a little bit ahead with earnings versus the current system since that base earning rate is 1.7 Stars, and with $50 reloads, you could take your effective earn rate up to 2.2 Stars per dollar spent.
Of course, only time will tell how offers and bonuses will play out, which could influence the ultimate overall return from the upcoming program changes.
Bottom line
At TPG, we are generally pretty big fans of elite status tiers where working your way up the system can result in even more perks and rewards, so I'm happy to see Starbucks bring back status tiers and reward its most loyal customers in some new ways.
I'm also glad to see the Stars redemption rates hold steady (after their last major change three years ago), though I'm less thrilled that Starbucks Green and Gold members may now earn fewer Stars than before if they were using the faster earning rate with Starbucks card reloads.
Your initial Starbucks Rewards status will be based on your Star earnings in 2025 and will be designated in your Starbucks app and shared via email when the new program launches in March.