Starbucks uses pumps to add syrups and sauces to a drink. The baristas have two types of pumps – hot bar and cold bar pumps.
Hot bar pumps measure twice the amount of syrup from the cold bar pumps. This means that, generally, a single pump of syrup from a hot bar pump is double the volume of syrup from a cold bar pump. The cold bar pumps are also known as half-pumps.
But How Much is a Pump of Syrup at Starbucks?
On average, a pump of syrup at Starbucks is 7.5 ml (1/4 ounce) for the small pump and 15 ml (1/2 ounce) when using the big pump. Each pump has 15-30 calories and 30-60 calories for the small pumps and larger pumps respectively depending on the type of syrup.
Generally, the baristas use the larger (hot bar) pump to add syrups to hot drinks and the smaller (cold bar) pump to add syrups to cold beverages.
Apparently, cold drinks taste sweeter than hot drinks with the same amount of sweetener because the bitter flavors are somewhat numbed at cold temperatures and activated at higher temperatures. That’s why a sweetened cup of coffee or tea tastes sweeter as it cools down.
Evidently, a cold drink does not need a lot of sweetening as compared to a hot drink.
How Much Does a Pump of Syrup at Starbucks Cost?
Currently, a pump of syrup at Starbucks costs $0.80 which covers any number of syrups that you wish to order. The syrup can be of one flavor or different flavors. However, sauces attract a separate $0.80 because they are under the sauces category.
For example, for $0.80 you can add countless pumps of vanilla syrup and any other syrup but if you add a sauce such as mocha, the sauce attracts a separate $0.80 charge which covers countless pumps of other sauces.
To acquaint yourself more with the flavors available at Starbucks, read our ranked list of Starbucks syrups.
Starbucks Extra Syrup Policy
According to the Starbucks syrup policy, you can add countless syrup pumps to a drink that already contains syrup at no extra charge. However, if the drink does not come with syrup by default, for a one-time upcharge of $0.80, you can add your choices of syrups.
Similarly, when you order a drink that comes with any sauce by default, you can add extra sauce or other sauce flavors for free. If the drink does not get any sauce by default, you can add all the sauces that you wish to have at a flat, extra charge of $0.80.
If a drink includes a syrup as per the menu, you can swap that syrup for another syrup at zero cost and if a beverage has a sauce by default, you can substitute the sauce with another sauce at no extra charge.
To swap a syrup with a sauce and vice versa, you have to pay $0.80 as syrups and sauce are not in the same category.
For frappuccinos, you can swap the sprinkles at no extra charge if the frappuccino has sprinkles by default. However, adding extra sauces to a frappuccino is surcharged even if the frappuccino includes a sauce.
The amount surcharged applies to most Starbucks corporate stores but may vary across the licensed stores.
5 Practical Examples of How the Starbucks Extra Syrup Policy Works
Here are five practical examples to help you understand the Starbucks extra syrup policy.
- Ordering a Caffe mocha with vanilla syrup attracts an upcharge of $0.80 because Caffe mocha, by default, does not get any syrup. With the single upcharge, you can add other syrups such as toffee nut, hazelnut, or cinnamon dolce
- Ordering a Caffe mocha with extra white mocha sauce attracts no upcharge because the drink already includes a sauce by default. You can also add other sauces for free such as caramel sauce, caramel brulee, or extra mocha sauce
- Ordering caramel macchiato with extra toffee nut and white mocha attracts a zero upcharge because the extra additions fall within the categories that come with the drink by default. Toffee nut syrup is in the same category as vanilla syrup which is the standard sweetener in a caramel macchiato. White mocha sauce is in the “sauces” category and is therefore covered by caramel sauce
- For a Caffe mocha, swapping the mocha sauce with a syrup such as a toffee nut will be charged extra. For a vanilla latte, trying to sub caramel sauce for vanilla syrup will be charged an extra $0.80
- You can add caramel sugar topping and chocolate curls to a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino at a zero upcharge because mocha cookie crumble has cookie sprinkles that are in the same category as the two add-ons. However, adding a mocha drizzle to a mocha cookie crumble frappuccino is surcharged despite the frappuccino having a caramel drizzle.
Final Thoughts
Generally, a pump of Starbucks syrup is either 7.5ml or 15ml depending on the size of the pump that a barista uses. Cold bar pumps eject half the amount of syrup that a hot bar pump ejects.
Starbucks charges $0.80 for a pump of syrup but the charge covers any number of pumps that you wish to have including different syrup flavors.
It is Starbucks’ policy not to charge any cost when adding extra syrup or swapping a syrup with another in a drink that has syrup in it by default. The same applies to sauces. However, swapping a sauce with syrup and vice versa attracts a $0.80 surcharge.
