If you are a Starbucks rewards program member, you stand to earn stars every time you make a purchase at a Starbucks store. As you continue earning more stars with subsequent purchases, you qualify to redeem some of your stars for free drinks, food items, or merchandise as per the company’s rewards policy.
The idea is to create brand loyalty so that more customers opt to spend their money at Starbucks in a bid to collect as many stars as they can to qualify for maximum rewards. Some of the concerns among Starbucks customers are whether there is a maximum limit for Starbucks stars and whether the stars expire.
This article answers these questions and other issues about your Starbucks stars.
Do Starbucks Stars Max Out?
No, Starbucks stars do not have a maximum limit. However, the stars expire six months from the month that you earn them except for the stars earned using a Starbucks rewards visa credit card. Fortunately, Starbucks uses up the oldest stars first when you redeem your reward.
Therefore, although you can not max out on your Starbucks stars, the stars are continuously expiring as you collect new ones unless you are using a Starbucks credit card.
For example, the stars collected in January will expire in July even as you collect new Stars for your July purchases.
As you can see, if you are a high-spending regular at Starbucks, your stars will add up super fast. Some Starbucks customers have been known to have thousands of stars at one particular time.
6 Key Things to Know About the Expiry of Starbucks Stars
Here are a few things to know about the expiration of your Starbucks stars
- unless you have a Starbucks rewards credit card, your stars expire six months from the month that you collected them
- if you have a Starbucks rewards credit card, your stars will never expire as long the card remains active
- if you cancel or close your Starbucks credit card, you have six months from the closure date to redeem the stars otherwise they will expire
- once your stars have expired, you can not get them back
- when you redeem a reward using your stars, Starbucks uses the oldest stars
- you can check the expiry month of your stars in the App. Navigate to the “My Rewards” section on your Starbucks app to see the total number of stars that will expire and the exact expiry date and month.
Starbucks had a rewards visa prepaid card in partnership with Chase Bank but this card has since been canceled by the bank towards the end of 2021. Subsequently, any stars acquired using the prepaid cards have been expiring without notice.
@Starbucks PSA – check your stars if you were a Starbucks prepaid card holder – your stars will disappear without notice. There seem to be a glitch in the system showing that Your Stars don’t expire – but it actually does!!!! pic.twitter.com/suUZDqTum6
— John Nguyen is using iOS 16 (@icce007) June 7, 2022
Is There a Limit to the Rewards that You Can Redeem With Starbucks Stars?
No, there is no limit as to the number of rewards that you can redeem using your stars so long as the items that you want are available and qualify as per the Starbucks rewards policy. Starbucks rewards are only redeemable at participating stores only.
Similarly, if you have accumulated a large number of stars, you can use them for a free drink or food item every time you visit a participating store. Some customers with thousands of stars go for months without paying for their drinks.
Read more about the Starbucks rewards program.
4 Ways to Earn Extra Stars from Starbucks
There are four easy ways to earn more stars from Starbucks:
1. Pay Using a Starbucks Card or Starbucks Gift Card
Paying with a preloaded Starbucks card or Starbucks gift card earns you two stars per dollar spent as opposed to one star per dollar spend when you pay using a mobile wallet, debit card, credit card, or cash.
You can ask the barista to reload your digital Starbucks card at the store with the exact amount that you wish to spend or more and hand over the cash to them.
2. Watch Out for Double Star Days
From time to time, Starbucks invites eligible customers for double-star days where they can earn twice the stars per transaction on qualifying items at participating stores.
Starbucks notifies eligible customers about the upcoming double-star days through personalized notifications or promotional emails.
To be eligible, you should either accept to receive promotional emails or download the Starbucks app.
3. Watch Out for the Reusable Cup Benefit
From to time, Starbucks avails a reusable cup benefit where you can earn bonus stars subject to fulfilling the terms and conditions.
4. Sign Up for a Starbucks Rewards Credit Card
When you sign up for a Starbucks credit card, you stand a chance to earn 4500 bonus stars upfront when you spend at least $500 within the first three months. You also earn up to three stars per dollar spent in participating stores and one star for every two dollars spent in participating groceries and merchants.
You also get a free drink every month among other attractive benefits. So you will have a boatload of stars and still qualify for free drinks without using the stars.
FAQs About Starbucks Stars
Can You Earn More than 400 Stars at Starbucks?
Yes, you can earn more than 400 stars as Starbucks does not impose a maximum limit on the stars that you can collect. However, you may want to constantly monitor the expiry date of your stars on your Starbucks app to avoid losing them.
Why Did I Lose my Starbucks Stars?
You can lose your Starbucks stars if they have expired, you have canceled your Starbucks rewards visa card, or Starbucks has shut down your rewards account.
Once your Starbucks credit card is canceled or closed, your stars will expire six months from the cancelation month.
