Big news: As of Jan. 3, 2024, Starbucks Rewards customers can bring in any personal cup (as long as it’s clean, and no the barista won’t rinse ’em for you) to use for an in-store, drive-thru, or mobile order — and save some money on their order. Why is this important? Well, at the Krazy Coupon Lady, we’ll take any discount we can get. And by bringing your own cup to Starbucks for any order, you’ll get $0.10 off every single order. That’s 10 cents back in your pocket for a $6 drink, but I digress. Second, you also get Bonus Stars for every purchase, earning you free drinks (this really sweetens the deal, IMHO). While Starbucks reusable cups aren’t a new thing, this policy sure is.
In 2020, Starbucks announced a goal to reduce waste by 50% by 2030. To reach that goal in the past, customers would get the $0.10 and the 25 Bonus Star perks, but they had to use a reusable Starbucks cup. And as we know, Starbucks cups are pretty spendy. They’re popular (especially the new Starbucks winter cups), but they’re a splurge at $14.95 to $24.95 a pop. Oh, and let’s not even talk about the Starbucks Stanley cups that start at $49.95.
So not only are you helping reduce waste, but you’re also earning some free drinks while you’re at it with your Bonus Stars. How many free drinks, you ask? You can earn around nine free drinks in a year with this perk. Here’s how.
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Starbucks Rewards members can now bring ANY cup to Starbucks and get $0.10 back on every order.
Bringing a Starbucks-specific reusable cup has come with a $0.10 discount in the past. But if you were trying to pay off the purchase of a Starbucks signature cup using this little discount, you’d need to get that baby filled at least 149 times throughout the year. Now you earn the $0.10 discount with ANY clean cup from home, costing you absolutely nothing extra. (Okay, so it’s ANY cup under 40 ounces, but that’s still a pretty great perk). It’s a great incentive, but it gets even better.
You’ll also get 25 Bonus Stars for bringing your own cup — the equivalent of a $12.50 to $25 purchase.
You earn one Star per dollar when you pay with cash or a credit card. But, if you use a Starbucks card, you earn two Stars per dollar. Using cash or credit, you’d need to spend $25 to earn 25 Stars. By using a Starbucks card that you continuously refill, you’d only need to purchase $12.50. But by bringing in a personal mug or cup, you score those 25 Stars absolutely free.
Let’s look at how you can spend your Stars.
- 25 Stars = Free drink customization; add a shot, syrup, or milk substitute.
- 100 Stars = Free hot or iced coffee or tea, a bakery item, or a packaged snack.
- 200 Stars = Free handcrafted drink (cold brew or latte, for example) or a breakfast item.
- 300 Stars = Free sandwich, protein box, or at-home coffee beans.
- 400 Stars = Select Starbucks merch
If you visit Starbucks once a week for a year, you earn 1,300 Bonus Stars (6 free handcrafted drinks!).
The Bonus Stars are where it’s at with this deal. Earning 25 Bonus Stars per week in a year nets 1,300 stars (for free!). A handcrafted drink costs 200 Stars, so you’re earning six free drinks throughout the year just by bringing in your mug. If you’re more of a coffee person, these Stars get you 13 free coffees!
Remember, that’s on top of the Stars you earn for every purchase. So let’s see how many drinks you could earn by ordering a grande latte vanilla every week for a year.
One grande vanilla latte per week earns 1,867 Stars (or 9 free drinks!).
Let’s break this down. A grande vanilla latte costs around $5.55 (varies by location) and with your $0.10 Starbucks reusable cups discount, you pay $5.45. If you pay with a Starbucks card, you earn two Stars per dollar. So you’re earning 10.9 Stars on your latte each week — a total of 566.8 Stars at the end of the year.
Now, let’s add in the 1,300 Bonus Stars you earn by bringing in your mug (see above): 1,300 + 566.8 = 1,866.8 Stars. You’ll earn nine free drinks in a year if you stick to your usual latte (which costs 200 Stars, 1866 ÷ 200 = 9.33).
Alright, so how about the savings? A grande vanilla latte per week without a personal mug is $5.55 or $288.60 for the year. If you bring in a personal mug and take your nine free drinks into account, you’d only purchase 43 drinks, working out to $234.35 — saving you $54.25 over a year.
Starbucks has offered a budget-friendly option for the past few years — known as Red Cup Day.
Every year, Starbucks gives away a reusable cup for free with the purchase of a holiday-themed drink (like the Peppermint Mocha) and you could use this cup for the year to get your reusable cup perks. The last Starbucks Red Cup Day happened on Nov. 16, 2023. If you missed it, no worries. Just bring your own clean mug from home — any mug or cup at all — and you’ll still earn all the rewards and rack up the cheap Starbucks coffee.
Starbucks Reusable Cups FAQ
How do I get my Starbucks reusable cups discount?
- In-Store: Tell the barista when you order that you have a personal cup and hand over their cup to the barista. You must be a free Starbucks Reward member.
- Drive-thru: Order your beverage as usual and let the barista know you brought a cup. At the pickup window, hand the barista your cup without the lid. They’ll take it in a contactless vessel to ensure hygiene and return it to you the same way.
- Mobile Orders: When you order on the Starbucks app, select Customize when selecting your drink. Select the Personal Cup option and then bring your cup (without a lid) to the pickup area to hand to a barista.
Will any personal cup work?
Any clean cup you have will work! Make sure it’s clean and don’t ask the baristas to rinse it for you, they just can’t do it for hygiene reasons, so don’t even ask.
You’ll also want to be sure it will fit your drink and that it is suitable for hot beverages if you’re ordering one.
Can I get more than one discount per day?
Yes, you can use Starbucks personal cups to get these perks up to three times in a single day.
What size can I order in Starbucks reusable cups?
Depending on the volume of your cup, you can order any of the Starbucks standard sizes. Just know your barista won’t be able to fit a Venti drink into a 16-ounce cup! Also, don’t bring in any cups over 40 ounces, it’s just too big and they aren’t going to fill that for you, sorry!
- Short: 8 ounces
- Tall: 12 ounces
- Grande: 16 ounces
- Venti: 20 ounces
- Trenta: 31 ounces (only for select cold drinks like iced coffee, cold brew, iced tea, and Refreshers)
Can I order any drink in a personal cup?
Yes, you can get hot, iced, or blended drinks in your cup.
Can I get a discount at a Starbucks inside my grocery store?
Participation by licensed Starbucks stores may vary. You can ask your barista at your local licensed store during your next visit.
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