Starbucks recently received backlash after announcing a series of new charges for customers. Specifically, customers will now be charged more for asking for less or no water in Refresher drinks, though some claim that the charge will also apply for those asking for less or no ice.
This is the case for corporate-run Starbucks locations. However, other types of Starbucks locations have received criticism in the past for similar charges. For example, earlier this year, a user on TikTok went viral after claiming that a Starbucks location in a Target (which are not run by Starbucks corporate) charged her for light ice in her drink.
Many Starbucks locations in universities are similarly not run by Starbucks corporate and are thus able to charge fees that corporate Starbucks locations do not, as TikTok user Kiera (@jobama.yomama) recently learned.
Recently, Kiera, a student at San Diego State University, went to her university’s Starbucks for a glass of milk so she could add it to a bowl of cereal. Starbucks is covered under the university’s meal plan.
However, when she ordered the milk, she was informed that it came with ice. She asked for the ice to be removed—and was allegedly charged an extra dollar for the modification.
@jobama.yomama #Sdsu ♬ original sound – phonographicmaterial
“To the Starbucks barista at SDSU that just tried to charge me [an] extra dollar for no ice IN MILK. U sincerely suck,” she writes in the text overlaying the video.
Many users were confused by the idea of putting ice in milk. However, Starbucks’ official website does say that its cold milk is generally served “chilled or over ice.”
“What weirdo gets ICE in MILK?” asks Kiera in a comment. In a later comment, she added, “They’ve never charged me b4, it was just this barista!”
Still, many users were quick to say that the charge was not the barista’s fault, but the location’s.
“Its not our fault stop blaming us, wrote one user. “we dont wanna charge extra but we have to.”
“Why do you automatically think the barista is going out of their way to charge you?” questioned another. “The register totals what you ask for not us.”
That said, many users expressed surprise at the additional fee for removing ice from milk.
“Atp i would scoop out the ice in front of them with a blank expression on my face,” said a commenter.
“You’re telling me that they were gonna charge you to REMOVE AN INGREDIENT,” shared a second.
The Daily Dot reached out to Kiera via TikTok comment.
Update 9:52am CT, Apr. 28, 2023: In an email to the Daily Dot, a Starbucks spokesperson shared the following statement:
“I can confirm that Starbucks is not making any changes to their ice policy. We don’t have anything to share regarding changes to Refreshers beverages.”
