10 Simple Starbucks Hacks To Know When Ordering On The App

Whether you love dropping by the Starbucks drive-thru on your way into work or just enjoy a sweet treat every once in a while, there are so many customers who swear by the coffee chain giant for all their caffeinated needs. However, if you aren't using the Starbucks app to its full potential, then you're seriously missing out on deals and offers that could save you a ton of money — and even score you free drinks, too.

Want to learn how to use the Starbucks app like a pro? Take it from a former Starbucks barista. I've rounded up all the very best ways you should be using your Starbucks app to ensure that you're making the most of it every time you scan your card or place a mobile order — whether for one of the brand's iconic drinks or just a straightforward cup of coffee. Cheers to that.

The biggest incentive for using the Starbucks app to pay at the register is the fact that you get Starbucks stars out of it. For the uninitiated, Starbucks stars are the brand's version of rewards points — amass enough of them, and you can use them to get free drinks, food, and even merchandise. You get a single Starbucks star for every dollar you spend. For context, the smallest upgrade — a free extra shot or syrup add-on — costs 25 stars.

It might sound like it will take you forever to rack up enough stars to actually use them in-store, and ordinarily, that might be true. However, there's a Starbucks app secret that will net you double the stars you'd typically earn on any purchase. Instead of linking your credit card to your Starbucks app, you should pre-load your app with a certain amount of money before you use it to pay in-store. This will give you two stars for every dollar instead of just one, giving you access to free drinks and merchandise twice as fast as before.

If you're concerned about loading up too much cash all at once, keep in mind that the minimum for pre-loading your app is $10. If you prefer, you can just load your app up with the minimum amount, which will be good for one or two drinks. This will net you the same amount of extra stars in the end, without tying up too much of your money in your Starbucks app.

Starbucks gift cards won't just get you free coffee — they can also get you free stars. Which basically gets you free coffee in the end, but, you know, more of it. Who wouldn't want that? All you need to do is grab your gift card and upload it to your Starbucks app by using the code on the back. Once it's in your app, you'll still be able to enjoy the gift card's cute design via the app interface. You'll also be able to pay with it by scanning the gift card barcode in the app instead of handing the physical card to your barista (handy if you tend to lose gift cards now and then). Even better, the Starbucks gift card counts as pre-loading your app with money. That means you won't just be earning one star per dollar you spend; you'll be earning two!

Starbucks Rewards members — anyone who has a Starbucks account or app — have a perk that not everyone knows about. You can get a free refill of a hot brewed coffee or plain iced tea with any Starbucks drink purchase. The only catch is that you have to stay in the Starbucks store the entire time you finish your first drink. As long as you don't mind either staying and working in the cafe for a while or reserving this tip for when you're shopping around at a Target Starbucks, you can grab a second drink for free on your way out. Don't forget about the other differences you need to know when shopping at a Target Starbucks, too. 

In order to get your free Starbucks refill, you'll need to pay with your Starbucks app for the first drink so that your local Starbucks baristas can verify that you have an active Starbucks account. Then, you're good to go with your free refill. They'll even give you a new cup, too.

Bringing in your own reusable cup at Starbucks is a great way to get extra stars via the brand's Starbucks Rewards program. But did you know that you can use the Starbucks app to mobile order drinks with your personal cup, too? You'll get the same amount of stars that you would if you had handed your barista your personal cup to use when ordering in-stores.

When you're placing your order in the app, make sure you select the indicator that you are bringing a personal cup. Then, your local Starbucks baristas will prepare your drink as usual. When you show up, your drink will be ready for you, and your barista will take your personal cup from you and pour your drink into it at the bar. Though Starbucks baristas will try to keep the drink in the container it was made in (such as a milk pitcher or cold drink shaker), they may need to pour it into a cup for storage if they need to continue using the drink container to make other drinks. Obviously, this doesn't actually reduce any waste in that case, which is an unfortunate downside. However, it is a good way to get extra rewards points with Starbucks.

If you're on the way to work and are placing a mobile order to save time, you might not even want to have to bother with finding parking and running into the store to grab your drink. Fortunately, if your local Starbucks has a drive-thru, you don't even have to get out of your car to collect your mobile order. Just join the drive-thru line and tell the barista that you're there to pick up a mobile order. Once you pull up to the window, your barista will hand your drink straight to you. This makes crowded Starbucks stores much more bearable — and let's be honest, it kind of beats ordering in the drive-thru, too. To boot, the experience is also much faster and allows you to add all the details you want to your order without having to recite them to the barista.

Ever heard of "Starbucks for Life?" The best Starbucks app hack around is to make sure that your Starbucks app account is linked to this annual Starbucks Rewards game. Each year during the holiday season, Starbucks runs this online game to give its customers a chance to win big with stars, merchandise, and — you guessed it — even Starbucks for life. Though the chances of actually winning a Starbucks drink every day for the rest of your life may be slim, the rest of the prizes are a little more common to win — even if Reddit thinks the Starbucks for Life game is a total sham. 

All you need to do is either follow along with the instructions the game gives you — which is normally to buy a certain number of Starbucks drinks or pastries — to receive "plays," which can be used to unlock rewards. Technically, you don't even need to buy anything from Starbucks to play, though — not only will you be given one free play every single day, but you can also opt out of buying Starbucks drinks for plays by taking a short survey instead.

The most common prize by far is 25 stars — but hey, at least that's a free shot or syrup upgrade that you don't even have to lift a finger for.

If you want to get the Starbucks lover in your life a practical gift, a digital gift card might just be the way to go. It removes the hassle of having to receive and then upload a physical Starbucks gift card (not to mention, you don't have to head out to buy one) — and what Starbucks fan wouldn't be happy with the prospect of getting double the stars via an uploaded gift card? Just check out the app to load and send digital gift cards that will automatically connect to your recipient's Starbucks account.

You can also gift yourself a gift card via the Starbucks app. This might sound strange at first, but it is just another easy way you can load your own Starbucks app and get double stars without having to draw funds directly from your bank account.

Though going to the trouble of opening multiple accounts for all the people you might normally order Starbucks for (such as friends and family) might seem like a hassle, it's actually more than worth it. It's totally fine if you only use one app to order the drinks you're buying for everyone else, but it's actually important that every individual has their own Starbucks account. That's because you can get a free Starbucks drink on your birthday! The only major rule is that the Starbucks account has to have made a purchase within the past year to qualify.

It's also handy to have family and friends with multiple Starbucks accounts for the other promotions the brand runs throughout the year. For example, in 2025, Starbucks offered a free coffee to all of its customers the day after the Super Bowl. If you order all your drinks on one account, you could only grab one free drink. But multiple accounts meant you could have a free drink for everyone in the family. That's more than worth it.

Don't hesitate to link up multiple forms of payment and/or gift cards within your Starbucks app. Starbucks gift cards never expire, so it doesn't matter how many you load up into your app all at once. Having all of your gift cards pre-loaded onto your Starbucks account will ensure that you never run out of opportunities to get double the stars on all of your orders. It doesn't matter which gift card you scan at the register, since they never expire, and having all of your gift cards pre-loaded in your app will ensure that you never run out of opportunities to get double the stars on all of your orders.

Just keep in mind that once a gift card is loaded, you can't transfer it onto other Starbucks accounts. If you and your family all have different Starbucks accounts that are used regularly, for example, you might decide to split up your gift cards evenly, too.

Starbucks offers can vary from person to person. For example, some Starbucks customers claim that they don't usually receive coupons or drink promotions for drinks that they don't purchase regularly. Other customers say that they get deals on drinks that they usually purchase using their Starbucks app.

There's another bonus in store for those who don't visit Starbucks all that often, too. You might actually find better offers in your Starbucks app if you visit the store less. If you have multiple Starbucks accounts open (not that we're encouraging that) or know friends and family members who have Starbucks accounts as well, make sure that you check all of your individual offers before you choose which person's app to order with. Be sure to check the offers section of your Starbucks app regularly, too, since coupons and deals can change quickly.