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Starbucks iOS App Puts Loyalty First With New Rewards Features
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Their food items are not crap - at least in the UK - they're in most cases better than the largest competition (Costa) as they use better quality ingredients (eg. less formed/reformed meat).
They're also seemingly the last bastion of goo-free muffins. (When did it become prevailing wisdom that a muffin has to be filled with fructosey goo?)
Yep, exactly. But hopefully they'll introduce a way to link the two at some point.
It stands to reason that it is possible. Walgreens is doing it currently. With the first tap of my watch I put in my rewards, second tap I pay.
App also doesn't work on ios 7 (I have an iPhone4s and I can't realistically upgrade the os).
Does this app really need 9 to display a few pictures and buttons?
I love Starbucks tea and all, but this is definitely a downgrade. In the likes of Reagan, Starbucks left me, I didn't leave Starbucks
Unfortunately those who split orders are the reason they are going to the new system, I say unfortunately because I would only get coffees then treat myself to a latte as my reward....so it was a true savings as my reward.....now I will get rewards way less frequently, unfortunately the coffee at work is undrinkable. I guess I could only buy a pound of blue mountain and make it at home for the same money I spend at Starbucks....
No way on God's Earth would I install an app on my phone that's ultimately there for the convenience of the corporation to track my shopping behaviour and make me a target.
Is there a way for Apple Pay to give me rewards anonymously? I use Costa quite a lot, and their business would be further assured if, when I pay with the phone, that counted towards a reward.
In my opinion if you install apps like this it's a real admission that you are a product of the consumer society.
Is there a way for Apple Pay to give me rewards anonymously? I use Costa quite a lot, and their business would be further assured if, when I pay with the phone, that counted towards a reward.
In my opinion if you install apps like this it's a real admission that you are a product of the consumer society.
Some of these email they are sending out are crazy...visit and purchase 5 days in a row and get 30 points, 6 days in a row get 60, 8 days in a row get 80 points.
What is this crap...after I run my card down down to zero, I'm going to delete this app, it's no longer going to be fun to use, by the time I get to enough points to get a free drink it will be 6 months and I will have lost the points I'd collected thus far.
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You are exactly right, I know someone that works there and they told me the same thing, people abuse the system and people were splitting orders even in the drive thru just so they could get there stars and now because of this they changed there reward system. So those of us have to pay the price of others that abuse the system. I'm not surprised they did this.
Also a barista told me that not only will they demand to split orders they will order thru drive in but not tell the barista when ordering but will wait until they pay (sneaky) that cause the line to grow because the barista has to to cash out and divide up the order for receipts. So yeah lots of abusers out there!!!
What is this crap...after I run my card down down to zero, I'm going to delete this app, it's no longer going to be fun to use, by the time I get to enough points to get a free drink it will be 6 months and I will have lost the points I'd collected thus far.
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You are exactly right, I know someone that works there and they told me the same thing, people abuse the system and people were splitting orders even in the drive thru just so they could get there stars and now because of this they changed there reward system. So those of us have to pay the price of others that abuse the system. I'm not surprised they did this.
Also a barista told me that not only will they demand to split orders they will order thru drive in but not tell the barista when ordering but will wait until they pay (sneaky) that cause the line to grow because the barista has to to cash out and divide up the order for receipts. So yeah lots of abusers out there!!!
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part of the shocker is the amount of stars needed.
a normal Loyalty program is around 10 Buys. With Starbucks it was 12...a Lucky Dozen. 12 doesn't seem so far off.
Now, with the 125 Stars needed to earn a Bonus/Free item...that number seems so far off, even if it is based on a monetary spend.
Like I said, I get it, Starbucks is a company and companies want to make money. I'm glad I got my 12 stars last month and was able to get a free drink. I have zero stars now. and might buy a drink by month's end to extend my Gold Status a year but I am not really pushing that thought.
a normal Loyalty program is around 10 Buys. With Starbucks it was 12...a Lucky Dozen. 12 doesn't seem so far off.
Now, with the 125 Stars needed to earn a Bonus/Free item...that number seems so far off, even if it is based on a monetary spend.
Like I said, I get it, Starbucks is a company and companies want to make money. I'm glad I got my 12 stars last month and was able to get a free drink. I have zero stars now. and might buy a drink by month's end to extend my Gold Status a year but I am not really pushing that thought.
Still there for me. Today it's showing ProShot as the app.
You've never been behind me then. I always go in with my husband. I always order and pay for mine, then order and pay for his. If we want food, we do the same thing. I have always apologized to the cashiers for doing this.
I have mixed feelings on this and I spend a lot of money at Starbucks! Years ago when they did away with free syrup and other upgrades I was mad but it didn't stop me from going there, plus at that point in time I was the only coffee drinker in the house. Now my husband has developed a taste for coffee only he is one of the people who just gets a grande dark roast every morning. He gets his coffee along with the occasional cookie or sandwich so he is one of the people that is harmed by this new program. For me, however, in some cases I'll get reward drinks faster but at the very least I'll get them at about the same pace. During the colder months when I'm drinking a hot drink, I spend anywhere from $5.08 to $5.64. In the summer when it's hot, I sometimes get an iced drink that might cost as much as $6.15 (I spend entirely too much money at Starbucks! LOL). As I also purchase the occasional bagel or sandwich the new program is a good thing for me. Like I said, I can honestly see both sides.
Regarding the app of the week, that is still there. They have done away with the Messages portion of the app but if you scroll down on your main screen the free app is still there, this week's app is Pro Shot.
Regarding the app of the week, that is still there. They have done away with the Messages portion of the app but if you scroll down on your main screen the free app is still there, this week's app is Pro Shot.
Right but OP was talking about 30 pieces of .50 chocolate to game the system. I've never seen that happen in hundreds of visits.. or .50 chocolate @ SB, but maybe its there just too small for me to see without my microscope
. If I'm with a crowd and I'm treating I order then pass my phone on to the next person. I want all my stars too, but I think people trying to game the system for a "free" $5 latte + more importantly end up looking like a schnorrer as my grandmother would say were more of an anomaly than common occurrence, and cause for the change in the program.
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Starbucks says its app is used by 17 million people and Rewards members can expect more features soon, including the ability to earn Stars outside of Starbucks.
Starbucks is a free download from the App Store for iPhone and iPad. [Direct Link]
Article Link: Starbucks iOS App Puts Loyalty First With New Rewards Features
That's the real bummer to me. I've enjoyed some of the free apps.
Looks like a basic Grande coffee drinker at an average cost of $2.46 or 4.8 stars@, will now need to buy 14 more cups of coffee (125/4.8-12) for a freebie and 33 more cups (300/4.8-30) in a year to remain Gold. I doubt it will change total sales much and SB is betting on that.
While not meaning to sound snarky, and completely understanding your point; it's coffee... I don't think you're in to much danger.
It's not. Seems like it's intended for people who visit daily or a few times a week. I must admit I visit Starbucks at least 5 times a week. I think I have a problem. But now that they offer 50p off when you bring your own tumbler, I'm saving money.
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Seriously... calm down. It's just coffee (and maybe cake!).
I'm quite calm, thanks, but oh dear, corporatism has you well and truly snared. It's not just coffee or a cake. It's those things dressed up in a mermaid logo and a rapacious desire to conquer the world. I see enough of MacDonalds and Starbucks on every high street. Their omnipresence actually saddens me.
They are trying to turn it into a game for their customers. A tweet they sent out last week commented about how fun it is to play with the stars after somebody was having trouble getting the app to load (it kept crashing.)
"Look! Pretty stars! If only you had more! Come on in and spend some money, and you can get more stars!"
Kind of insulting, IMO.
To top it all off for me was that I had 7 stars in my app cup and as soon as this new program went into affect I lost all those stars. Granted I knew about it because they forewarned you in a prior email however that principal just stinks all around. How are my lousy 7 stars really going to impact that that they had to delete them, why not keep them in the cup. I admit it was kinda fun to reach those 12 stars because for me I didn't go but maybe once every week or two.
I'll never spend the kind of money they want me to spend on this new rewards just to get a free drink. So it's over for me.
I'll never spend the kind of money they want me to spend on this new rewards just to get a free drink. So it's over for me.
ProShot is STILL showing on my NEW Starbucks app. You just have to scroll all the way down to it.
