Just a short lesson on what a refill is at Starbucks: I think this is valuable information for many people!
If you order a Starbucks tall latte, and then want Pike Place Roast as a refill, the answer is “yes.” I should clarify, the answer is “yes” only if you have stayed inside the store. Once you leave the store, when you return, you will be paying full price for your beverage again. The refill price is available only for same store visits. The refill only becomes free if you are paying for your beverage with a registered Starbucks Card, at the green level of benefits. And there is no refill price for any handcrafted beverages. Iced tea, iced coffee, and hot brewed coffee all have a refill price available to them. In other words, if I drink a grande Frappuccino, stay in the store, and want grande iced passion tea as a refill, then I should be charged the refill price for the passion tea, not the the full price of the iced passion tea. However, there is no way to order a Frappuccino as a refill.
I bring this up because I noticed (thanks to a comment in another blog article!) that Starbucks has finally updated their website to truly clarify the refill policy. This had been in an area, where in the past, the website had had ambiguous language. Thank you Starbucks for this! Here’s the official Starbucks page on the refill benefit.
In previous articles, I have talked about the theories behind the refill policy. As many people know, iced coffee, iced tea, and brewed coffee are beverages that are low cost to the business. Furthermore, those who stay inside the store are more likely to linger and purchase food or other items as well. Also, it makes no sense to tell customers, you must only purchase the lowest cost beverages to be able to receive the refill price. In other words, there’s no logic to saying that a customer who spends a premium for a handcrafted drink may not receive a refill because he or she didn’t start out with a cheaper beverage. And of course, there is never a refill price for drive-thru customers.
And you really do have to stay in the store to get a refill. If you have left the store, and you return later in the day with your cup, the baristas should tell you there is no refill price available.
Hope that my readers find this helpful!
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Hello, are we allowed to get a regular green tea as a refill if our original beverage was a frap..? I have been turned down now at a few locations. Most locations allow this with no problems.
@Sam – Yes, you can get an iced green tea after having a blended Frappuccino beverage. If a store says “no”, call Starbucks Customer Service and complain. Always hang on to your receipt – have the store address and number on it.
(I am assuming that you’ve stayed in the store, and so it’s a ‘same store visit’. That refill is free if you pay for it with a Starbucks Card registered, with your profile at the Green Level or higher level of rewards. If you don’t have a Starbucks card, then you pay 54 cents (or some amount close to that – don’t quote me exactly – there can be slight regional variation in that, and variation due to different regions’ sales taxes.)
Hi can i get a refill of my Americano even though i dont have a Starbucks card??
Unfortunately Americanos are not on the refill list. I wish because they are my favorites. If you purchase an Americano you are entitled to a refill of coffee, iced coffee, tea or iced tea having met all the other qualifiers (staying in the store, purchasing a refill of the same size).
Thank you for the super quick reply. Thank you once again for all the great articles and fun discussions.
@Valerie, Sam and Lynn –
Lynn, even if you don’t use a Starbucks card, when you use the refill perk you’ll just pay the amount of money that it is for a refill – it won’t be free. I suggest you start using a Starbucks card. 🙂 The refill perk kicks in at the green level of benefit.
@Valerie – This thread has over 300 comments and it’s now almost the number one viewed thread out of all my articles. The refill policy is almost always the top key words that lead people to my blog. I think Starbucks should take note of the confusion it creates! Thank you for being here and helping out!
@Sam – You’re welcome! Please come join in other threads. I just posted a fun article about concept drive thru stores! 🙂
Melody-you are so right. The policy is clear but it’s when managers and DM’s and our Customer Service line people don’t back up their baristas who are trying to abide by the policy the confusion comes in. Is go with the Wegmans model. Bring your same day receipt back to any Wegmans any time for a free coffee/tea refill. That eliminates so much confusion and the customers who feel that it’s free coffee at every Starbucks they go to. I had one customer tell me point blank that he travels up and down I-85 for business and never pays for coffee.
From my thinking about the policy, the cost of providing the iced coffee might be about $0.25, what you’re really paying for is the “contribution margin” that goes towards rent, labor, maintenance, electricity, etc. So when you go for a “refill”, they’ve already got at least $2.00 or more, so the chances of you staying in the store with the likelihood of buying something else might outweigh the risk of $0.25, because if you visit the store every day of the week, the risk returns itself if you buy just one baked or deli good.
This’d get a lot more interesting if they’d expand their stores that sell wine 🙂
So if i order an Orange Valencia refresher can i get a refill of one of the teavanna ice teas for free with my card at the green level?
Hi – can I refill my Venti Cool Lime Refresher drink?
Unfortunately, Refreshers are not a refill product. I wish but they are not a tea, iced tea or coffee. I like the berry Refresher made with lemonade instead of water.
@Melissa, Yes you should be allowed to get a refill of an Iced Passion Tea.
I had a representative from Starbucks tell me today that only base ? Tea and green tea are permitted for refill not passion or rooibos, etc. I love policies that are clear and easy to follow . Unfortunately different answers depending on who you speak to or interpret their online policy is causing me to want to stop going there altogether.
Can I get a free refill on iced Passion Teas ? I have a Gold card.
This is going to make me sound so cheap, but I’m extremely broke lol but I do have a free reward on my card, and I do plan on staying the whole day at my local Starbucks getting some work done before I move next week to college, so my question is are the free tefills available to people who get a drink using a free reward?
Technically, no. It’s supposed to be on a purchased beverage. But…if I was your barista and I knew your circumstances, I’d let it slide this time. Then again, they don’t call me “mom” for no reason.
Honestly, at a store as busy as the one I’m at…. I would have No Clue your first drink was free. We can’t keep track of that stuff. So I would say Yes. Free Reward drink and Free Refill.
@Nick – I think there’s some ambiguity about what’s a “purchased” beverage. The policy doesn’t make any reference to the form of payment, such as a reward. I would be inclined to say “yes” you can get a refill in the store when your first drink was purchased with a reward. It would be an interesting question for you to ask Starbucks customer service.
For getting a Treat receipt, the Starbucks website says any purchase before 1:59 pm. @Kathleen, I went to the website & it says any full leaf tea. Passion is a full leaf tea.
I now have a Gold card, but at the time I had a Green card & was charged .50 for a coffee refill. It was the same cashier who rang up my original purchase. Shouldn’t the cashier ask if we have a Starbucks card? I knew there was a refill policy (some don’t). I didn’t question the .50 because I thought maybe it was only for one certain flavor.
Can you get free refills on iced Chai teas?
Iced chai is actually a chai latte so there is not a refill on that. But you can do a refill of the same size of a hot coffee, iced coffee, hot tea or iced tea.
We went to Starbucks yesterday. NO free refills on thd Oprah Iced Chai. Bummer!
I have a question. I go to starbucks at least once a day and get the same drink..venti caramel frappiccino with 7 pumps of caramel syrup. Today, for the first time, I was charged $.50 for the extra syrup but have never been charged previously. I have been a gold member for over 3 years. I understood that the policy was that as long as you are getting the same syrup the drink comes with (caramel for caramel frappiccino) then you are allowed as many pumps as you wish. When I told the cashier this she ignored me and charged me anyway.
If I buy a cold drink can I get a refill of hot brewed coffee? And would it be okay for them to put the hot coffee in my cold cup or should they give me a fresh paper cup?
You can get a hot tea or coffee as a refill for a cold beverage. Unfortunately, our cold cups can’t handle 165-190degree water.
The biggest issue with the refill policy and the inconsistency of its implementation is that there is no training for it. At no point in my Starbucks training did anyone explain to me what the rules were, I had to look it up for myself. (Also note, I live in Canada, so things may be different here!)
@Melissa, I would make sure to mention that it is a refill you are looking for. As well, if you are at a licensed location, they do not follow the same refill policies as corporate locations.
@Kassie, you should not be charged for extra caramel syrup in a caramel frappucino. Bad Barista!!
@Ben, you can have as many refill beverages of any kind, hot or cold, within your visit regardless of you original beverage. And technically, Starbucks policy states that you should be receiving a fresh cup every time; only reusable cups should be used multiple times.
Thanks so much for posting this! I’ve sent the link to my phone so hopefully the next time I’m in a Starbucks I can start with a latte and get a coffee refill on my way out.
I was always confused about whether or not this was the policy because at the Starbucks I usually go to in Sacramento, they always give me a refill after I’ve purchased another beverage. The ones where I actually live though always try to charge me. I’ve been suckered into paying for a while. Now that I have that link I doubt I’ll pay again since they can’t exactly go against their own policy once they’re show it…
I have a gold card and get an iced coffee. I know the refills are free but can I get more than one refill for free?
Sure can. We had a young man who would get 4 Trenta iced coffee refills after his first. We had to brew extra just for Jeffrey.
How about refills with a receipt n you left the store.. u got a venti pumpkin spice latte hot wit an extra shot.. can I get refill by showing receipt on same day?
@Rasta – The answer is “no.” Every word in the refill policy has meaning. Once you leave the store, your visit has ended. If you leave the store, all refill benefits end.
Hello..
Hope you can help me. If you already started getting hot coffee refills, is it possible to switch to cold tea refills and visa versa..? Thank you.
Hi Sam.
Worked for me most of the times but sometimes the baristas didn´t know that so they wouldn´t do it. Very few stores (I travel a lot) actually have a note somewhere with the refill policy written down.
And (to answer someone elses questions) : I don´t have problems getting refills with a zero balance on my gold card.
Thank you mr marcus. I also travel alot and I encountered my first barista who tried to charge me for a new drink. Wanted clarification. THANK YOU again.
Hey All my understanding is if I get a green tea frap I should be able to get a refill with just a regular green tea right? I went to a store today and they said I couldn’t do it but just wanted to double check before I let starbucks customer service know. Thx !
Yes, Jason. The refill is regardless of what you´ve had before. But you have to be at least a Greencard member with your card handy.
Here´s the policy from their website (maybe you should show it to them) : “We want you to feel at home. Paying with your registered Starbucks Card or mobile app gets you brewed and iced coffee and brewed tea refills at no charge during your visit at a participating store.”
… and the link: http://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards
I have been a “gold” member for some time now and have never taken advantage of free refills until yesterday. Well, I tried to anyway. I started with a pumpkin spice latte and wanted to leave with a tea. I was told that refills were only allowed with original purchases of brewed coffee or tea and was directed to a new policy hanging at the register dated 9/3. Has anyone else experienced this?
@Amber – That store got it wrong. You should call Customer Service and complain and ask that your feedback get to the store’s district manager. Once in a while, there will be these pamphlets at the condiment bar that say “Share Your Thoughts” and they should be filled out with the DMs information (though too often, that info is missing). The refill policy still shows the words “regardless of original beverage” on the official page:
http://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1882
Those words “regardless of the original beverage are not meaningless. Starbucks put them in their to cover situations just like yours.
And just so you know, it’s a “green” level or high benefit. You can use any card you like so long it’s green or higher, to get this perk. (You actually are never required to use a gold card ;))
@melody I know that being green counts as well, lol not really sure where I was going with that. Also, because I was paranoid of being turned down, I looked up the policy before going for my refill. When I told the guy that the website still says otherwise, he kept arguing and pointing to the printout at the register. Being in upper management with a top drugstore chain, I am well aware of policy changes. But I also know a thing or two about customer service and that was definitely not provided. Just aggravating and a little humiliating. Thanks for letting me vent 🙂
@Amber Well you’re totally right. That was not good customer service. Basically, there’s no way to create inspired moments by fiercely arguing with the customer and pointing to wrong signs.
Can u get a free hazelnut ice coffee as a refill? Ice coffee I understand
I have observed that stores do allow refill for coffee with syrup. it’s matter of weather they charge you the cost for the syrup or not, which most let you have free. But some do charge you for the syrup tho.
My question is can my free refill include a green tea latte? I always get an unsweetened green tea latte with whole milk. If I purchase this hot or iced and I am at the green level can I get the exact same thing for my free refill? Or does it have to be a plain brewed tea? Thank you!
@Chris – There are only four things that are ever available as a “refill” price; Iced coffee, iced tea (not tea lemonade), hot tea, and hot brewed coffee of the day. You latte isn’t ever eligible for a refill price.
http://customerservice.starbucks.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1882
After drinking your green tea latte (and assuming you have not left the store), you can get one of the 4 things mentioned above as your refill. But there are no lattes of any kind on the refill policy. It’s 4 things: Hot coffee, iced coffee, hot tea, iced tea (plain – one of the 3 standard iced teas such as green, black, or passion tango tea.).
Actually, the tea lemonade is available at a refill price (not free however). I think it was 80 cents CAD extra for the lemonade part (Venti).
I found this blog b/c of the “Starbucks refill policy on hot tea -teabags included or not” search I did online. I’m a bit surprised that there aren’t more posts/articles online about this “nuance” of the refill policy. I prefer tea to coffee, but refills on hot teas have become a very unpleasant experience for me. My understanding is that hot tea refills include a new tea bag (or two, I’m assuming, if it’s a Venti size) and not just a refill of hot water. In the Reno/Sparks, NV, area, the response I receive half the time (depending on the barista) is that a new tea bag(s) will be an extra charge; and when I try to explain what I understand the policy is, it feels like they think I’m trying to pull a fast one on them and I get the “this one time” reply (which seems belittling to me … like you’ll be lenient with me and allow me to get away with something like this one time). Tonight, the barista told me that she had looked up the policy in the past and that it was only hot water. I asked her if I could see the policy, and she said that it was only on their portal which wasn’t available to the public. There’s no way to try to counter something that I, as the public, am not allowed to take a look at. (Though about a month ago, a different barista at a different location, actually came up to me about an hour later and said that she had looked at the policy, that a new tea bag(s) is included, and that she would make sure to let the whole store team know – so I don’t understand how two baristas looking at the same policy can come to such opposite conclusions – unless it’s not written clearly).
I’ve had many unpleasant experiences with this refill policy (including some pretty rude responses by baristas that, it seemed, thought I was trying to pull a fast one – the refill policy is a Starbucks policy, and I really don’t want to be put down by a barista while asking for something that Starbucks offers). I hope that Starbucks would clarify this for the customer and for the baristas – if I’m mistaken, I’d appreciate being made aware of that – and give the customer some official language and where the baristas can find it to point them to so that it doesn’t become such a big issue.
Can i get a refill with a fraupaccino
No. You can’t get a free refill or even any special refill price. You’d have to pay for an entirely new Frapp.
@Sara – I’m writing this with all respect and in no way to chide you. In fact, I appreciate the honesty with which you noted in your post that”I gave her the refill price even though ‘I felt like she was trying to take advantage’ ” – and I feel like this is a very poignant example of what can cause tension between the customer and the barista, and make for a bad experience for the customer if the customer happens to be in the right in the first place. See, there’s no nice way of putting the thought “I think you’re trying to take advantage of us” … and even if it’s not said out loud to the customer, the body language (or even actual language used, no matter how nicely the barista is trying to say it) will hint to the customer that exact message … “I feel like you’re sleazily trying to get away with something, but I’ll be nice and let you”. In my opinion, in the case where the customer happens to be right in the first place, that is a very belittling/demeaning attitude, and it’s not the customer that needs to understand that the barista is doing him/her a favor. Rather, the barista needs to understand that that’s what the Starbucks policy is. If there’s an issue with it, Starbucks needs to change their refill policy or word it in a way that clearly states what Starbucks wants its policy to be. No respectable person would feel like they had a good experience someplace where they felt they were looked at as trying to take advantage. I think Melody hits it right on the head … the baristas should not have to play the policy police (the burden is on the company or the managers to set up a protocol where the customer should be dealt with respectfully in an unclear situation, and then the barista take up the unclear situation with leadership so as to be clear on conduct in the future … and if the policy is unclear, let the company clarify the wording to reflect the company’s intent). The “I’ll do it for you this one time” is, without fail, the response I get about 99% of the time on the issue I have with the refill policy (I just posted about it) … and I don’t think Baristas realize how patronizing that response is when the Barista is mistaken about the policy’s application to the issue at hand. If I should pay the full price for the drink, then make me pay the full price for the drink … don’t do me any favors. But if I should pay a refill price b/c of the company policy, then the barista/company needs to understand that they need to understand for themselves the policy they’ve made. In your case, Sara, the lady paid for a drink. She was still in store. According to the policy that the company has set up, she should get the refill price on a refill of coffee. She can’t take advantage of a policy that the company has set up in its own words (approved by its own legal department). If the company realizes that there are unintended outcomes from the way they have worded their policy, they have a very well paid legal department that would change the wording. Baristas shouldn’t be trying to interpret the policy … that should come from Starbucks. And if there’s (subjective) doubt in a situation, as an entrepreneur, I’d say err in favor of the customer and then let Starbucks know that they need to clarify things for customers and its employees.