A Starbucks barista went viral on TikTok after issuing a public service announcement about the coffee chain’s reward system.
In the viral video, TikTok user @stephtaylor36 announced that Starbucks will be updating its reward system. She flipped the camera to show a tablet where a document revealing the changes was pulled up.
“So, what used to be 50 stars will now be 100 stars; anything that was 150 is now 200; anything that was 200 is now 300, and 400 is staying the same,” she explained.
According to the document, the tiers for the new point system are as follows:
25 Stars: an extra espresso shot, nondairy substitutes, syrups, and all priced modifiers up to $1.
100 Stars: Brewed coffee, tea, or bakery.
200 Stars: Handcrafted drinks (cold brew, lattes, and more). Hot breakfast items.
300 Stars: Lunch sandwiches, protein boxes, or salads. Packaged coffee.
400 Stars: Select member merchandise (Members pay a difference over $20).
The document notes that iced coffee and tea, Ham & Swiss Croissant, packaged snacks, and Siren Logo Plastic To-Go Cup are new items that have been added to the 100 Stars tier. Packaged coffee is a new addition to the 300 Stars tier.
The new rewards system will kick in on February 13, 2023.
The TikToker pleaded in the caption, “don’t come for us baristas, we had nothing to do with it.”
@stephtaylor36 don’t come for us baristas, we had nothing to do with it🥲 #starbucks #fyp #starbucksrewards #sbuxbaristas ♬ original sound – stephtaylor36
The video garnered over 225,000 views since it was posted on Dec. 27. In the comments section, many viewers criticized the new rewards system.
“Starbucks is getting shady. Between this rewards game being crap for multiple years but even worse this year and now this… BLEHHHH,” one criticized.
“So the drinks are more expensive and it takes more stuff to get rewards now,” a second noted.
“Fuck that shit! Starbucks doesnt have the right to change their reward system. Just boycott Starbucks,” a third wrote.
“And they want to keep their stars at 2 or 1 star gain per dollar spent,” a fourth pointed out.
“The $20 limit for 400 stars is honestly the most upsetting. They increased all the prices but not the limit,” another commented.
Despite being disappointed by the change, some users were able to find an upside.
“I know this is a downgrade for most drinks but iced coffee is moving from 150 to 100 stars,” one commented.
“Iced coffee drinkers are thrilled,” another wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to @stephtaylor36 via TikTok comment and to Starbucks via press email.
