Starbucks For Life Has Returned For The 2023 Holiday Season

The holidays are always a special time of year at Starbucks, and for the biggest fans that goes far beyond the seasonal menu to the enticing prospect of winning Starbucks for Life. While Peppermint Mochas and Sugar Cookie Lattes may be the sign of the season for most, one the biggest traditions at the end of the year for Starbucks has been a contest for rewards members that has been going on for the past 10 years. Each holiday season, from the week after Thanksgiving until New Year's, the coffee chain has launched a game where customers can make purchases and then compete to win major prizes, which range from smaller gift cards to the ultimate reward: free Starbucks every day for life. And now the 2023 edition has officially begun.

Starting November 28 and lasting through December 31, anyone with a Starbucks rewards account can sign in at Starbucksforlife.com to register and play. This year's contest is based around a game where you shake a snow globe and collect three matching pieces in a row to win prizes, or win instantly by landing "bonus stars" and gift cards. To compete you must earn "game plays," that you redeem to play each round. Up to two game plays each day can be earned by making a purchase using your rewards account. If you don't want to spend the money you can also earn plays by completing an online survey and sharing your email.

There are 11 different prizes to win this year according to the official rules, with each one having a limited number of winners over the next month. Outside of the grand prize, contestants can win things like bonus stars for their rewards account, $25 or $50 gift cards, coffee makers, and Stanley tumblers. The number of winners is listed on the rules page, and ranges from 100 for the coffee maker to 82,500 for 100 bonus stars. Nearly 200 people can win free drinks for one month, but only five can take home the top prize of Starbucks for Life, which is defined as one food item or standard menu non-alcoholic beverage per day for 30 years. Even if you have quibbles with the exact terminology being used, that's still a lot of Starbucks.

Beyond the standard way of earning plays through purchases, this year's game also features challenges players can complete to earn bonus plays. These range from treating other people to a drink, to making "Shake It Up" or "Afternoon Pick Me Up" purchases that will be listed on the promotion's site; participants will be limited to completing each challenge only once. There are a lot of different ways to win some nice prizes, so it looks like 2023's Starbucks for Life games will be more competitive than ever.