Starbucks Red Cup Day happens every November and always on a Thursday; for the past two years we’ve seen it on the second Thursday of the month. With that in mind, expect the next Starbucks Red Cup Day on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026.
When this promotion comes around again, order your favorite Starbucks holiday drink to get a FREE reusable holiday red cup. The cups are grande size (that's 16 ounces in normie talk), and you can bring them back every time you visit Starbucks to earn the personal refill cup perk: a $0.10 discount and 2x Starbucks Stars.
Red Cup Day shouldn't be confused with the early November Starbucks holiday menu and Starbucks holiday cups release — which will likely be a week earlier on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. True Red Cup Day is when you get a free cup just for buying a holiday drink.
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Starbucks Red Cup Day is an annual event where you'll get a free reusable red cup with the purchase of a holiday drink.
When you order any of the limited-edition drinks available on the Starbucks holiday menu , you’ll get a free 16-ounce (Grande) reusable red cup, while supplies last. You can get the freebie regardless of how you order: in-store, drive-thru, app, or Uber Eats/DoorDash.
KCL predicts the next Starbucks Red Cup Day will be Nov. 12, 2026.
Starbucks hasn't officially announced the date for their next Red Cup Day, but based on prior years, we think it'll be two weeks before Thanksgiving on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026.
How do we make our prediction?
Since 2021, Starbucks has scheduled Red Cup Day for the third Thursday in November. However, in 2024 and 2025, it was a week earlier, and we expect Starbucks will stick to that timeline in 2026.
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Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025
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Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024
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Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023
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Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022
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Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021
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Friday, Nov. 6, 2020
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Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019
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Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018
Get to Starbucks early on Red Cup Day — supply's limited.
If you wait until late morning on Red Cup Day, you might be out of luck. The annual event is known to draw a crowd, and cups disappear long before the end of the day. In fact, Red Cup Day hype is even bigger than PSL hype, according to Placer.ai. In 2024, Starbucks locations saw an almost 13% increase in foot traffic on Red Cup Day (compared to just under 10% on PSL launch day).
Most Starbucks cafes open at 5 a.m., and we suggest getting there bright and early to get your hands on a cup.
The cups are also available at Starbucks inside Target stores.
If you get your Starbucks at Target , you can afford to sleep in a little. Target typically opens at 8 a.m., so that’s the earliest you can grab your red cup. And, yes, Target locations have the cups.
KCL TIP : Last year, I was able to grab two more free red cups at 7 p.m. at my Starbucks Target location. I find they typically still have things when my standalone store is sold out.
You have to buy one of their holiday drinks to get the free cup.
The holiday menu changes every year, and here is the holiday drink lineup for 2025. Most drinks are around the $6 price point, but a tall hot chocolate will be the most affordable option at around $3.
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Peppermint Mocha
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Caramel Brulee Latte
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Iced Sugar Cookie Latte
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Iced Gingerbread Chai
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Hot Chocolate
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White Hot Chocolate
After Red Cup Day, use your new cup to get $0.10 off and earn double Bonus Stars.
Starbucks allows customers to get any drink in a personal cup to score a $0.10 reusable cup discount and double bonus Stars on your entire order. This is a recent change to their old reward system that offered 25 stars when you bring your own cup.
Free hot or iced coffee or tea requires 100 Stars. With the new change, that means instead of just bringing your cup to Starbucks four times, you'll have to spend at least $50 to earn a free coffee or tea. Unfortunately, this is a slower way to earn your next cup. On the bright side, 100 Stars will still get you a free coffee.
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