I’m a Bostonian that runs on Starbucks coffee, not on Dunkin’. It’s almost blasphemy to say that in my city, but hey, it’s the truth.
And at $5.08 a pop for a venti iced coffee, it’s not a cheap obsession either. That’s about $152 each month just for morning coffee.
Luckily, I’ve managed to discover plenty of ways to get free Starbucks gift cards to enable this small luxury. If you’re also a Starbucks lover on the hunt for free coffee and gift cards, then I got you covered!
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Join Starbucks® Rewards to Get Free Digital Starbucks Card
There’s one easy way to get free Starbucks coffee without needing a Starbucks gift card. It’s by enrolling in the Starbucks® Rewards program.
Starbucks® Rewards is a loyalty program that is free to join and offers tons of great benefits. You download the Starbucks app, sign into your loyalty account and start earning on every Starbucks purchase.
Plus, you’ll get access to a free digital Starbucks card that you can load up to $500, and earn 2 Star points for every dollar spent at Starbucks.
Then redeem your star points for free coffee, bakery items or Starbucks merchandise. If you go to Starbucks often, then this is definitely worth it!
Is Starbucks Free on Your Birthday?
Another reason to download the Starbucks app and join Starbucks® Rewards is for the free birthday drink!
The members only freebie offer allows you to select any standard-sized beverage for free as a birthday treat.
9 Ways to Get Free Starbucks Gift Cards
You can get free Starbucks gift cards by winning them in Starbucks sweepstakes, redeeming them as rewards in cash back apps, and by taking online surveys.
Here’s a closer look at how to do it.
(P.S. – Save this pin on Pinterest and come back to it again! I update this blog post periodically with new ways to get free gift cards!)
1. Win a Free $5 Starbucks Gift Card
Not long ago, I won a free $5 Starbucks gift card in the Starbucks® Summer Game. I also won free loyalty Stars towards free drinks and food.
These Starbucks games normally come around twice a year and are open to Starbucks® Rewards members. Gameplays are earned by making eligible purchases at Starbucks®.
So for example, every morning after grabbing my morning coffee, I would check my Starbucks app and find that I had 1 or 2 gameplays available.
These plays can get you free Star points, free $5 Starbucks gift cards, sweepstakes entries to win Starbucks for Life and more!
2. Free $100 Starbucks Gift Card Survey
Now through September 30th, 2024, you can complete the Starbucks online survey for a chance to win a free $100 Starbucks gift card!
The Starbucks Customer Experience Sweepstakes is open to anyone 18 years of age or older, and no purchase is necessary to participate.
You can enter one time per monthly entry period during the promotion period. The best part is that 100 people will be awarded a free $100 Starbucks gift card each month!
In total, one thousand two hundred (1,200) free gift cards will be given out during the Starbucks sweepstakes.
3. Participate in Research Studies
I received a free $5 Starbucks eGift card and $30 Starbucks gift card for participating in online research studies.
I actively use the Robinhood investment app, and also have a Stripe business account where I receive payments for online digital product sales.
Both companies sent me emails to participate in research studies where I would be compensated with a free gift card for my time.
Most people disregard these types of emails, but I like jumping on these opportunities! You may even have emails right now in your inbox with free Starbucks gift card offers.
It’s worth taking a moment to check. You may very well end up with a free Starbucks gift card today!
4. Join Online Survey Sites
Branded Surveys is a site that pays you for your opinion. They reward you with points that can be redeemed for cash, free Starbucks gift cards and more.
Surveys are normally between 1 – 20 minutes long and can be taken from the comfort of your home. Once you reach a minimum of 500 points, you can cash out and get yourself a free coffee with your gift card!
To start, you’ll get a 100 point sign up bonus when you join Branded Surveys as a first time user.
Realistically speaking, you could earn your first $5 Starbucks gift card on your first day of taking online surveys!
5. Sign Up for Swagbucks
Swagbucks is my favorite site to get $25 Starbucks gift cards online for free. The website offers you legitimate ways to make money online such as playing games, taking online surveys, and doing online shopping.
You’ll earn Swagbucks points that can be redeemed for PayPal cash or gift cards. I became a Swagbucks member in March of 2022 and have earned $1,860 in my free time!
It’s a no-brainer site to use and I regularly recommend it to friends and family looking to get free gift cards or make extra money.
There’s also a $10 Swagbucks promotion for new members, which you can cash out to a free Starbucks $10 gift card.
Read my full Swagbucks review for all the ways to earn SB points.
6. Ibotta
You can clip digital coupons on the Ibotta grocery app and redeem your cash back rewards for free Starbuck gift cards. The only caveat here is you need a minimum balance of at least $20 in order to cash out.
My recommendation is to sign up with an Ibotta referral code to earn a $5 welcome bonus. Then head over to YouTube and watch how some extreme couponers use the app to get free products, free money, and free gift cards.
It sounds a little wild to think you can get so much for free, but I myself have done this and earned over $17k with Ibotta.
7. Fetch App (formerly Fetch Rewards)
Fetch is another receipt rewards app similar to Ibotta, but this one allows you to earn rewards on all your receipts. So if you’re not much of a couponer, then this app may be better suited for you.
The Fetch app will give you a minimum of 25 points per receipt you submit. Once you reach 6,500 points, you can redeem them for a free $5 Starbucks gift card.
It’s a simple app and you don’t need to go out of your way to earn free gift cards.
I’ve been using the app for a few years now, and redeem at least one $50 gift card each month. Read my complete Fetch app review.
8. Shopkick
The Shopkick app will reward you with free Starbucks gift cards for submitting shopping receipts, scanning product barcodes and watching short video ads.
I like to think of this app as a cash back rewards app and gig app all-in-one. You don’t need to purchase anything in order to start earning ‘kicks.’
You can literally walk into a store and get points, aka ‘kicks,’ for browsing new products and scanning barcodes. I wrote all about it in my Shopkick review.
You’ll need a minimum of 1,250 kicks to redeem a $5 Starbucks gift card.
9. Seated App
With the Seated app, you earn cash back rewards for dining out. Once you reach the minimum threshold of $20, you can redeem your rewards for a $20 Starbucks gift card.
This app is only available in limited cities. So, unfortunately not everyone will be able to take advantage of this program.
Current Seated app cities include: Boston, NYC, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, DC, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
If you reside in one of these areas, then definitely download Seated and start earning free Starbucks gift cards!
What is the Minimum Amount for a Starbucks Gift Card?
The minimum amount you can load onto a Starbucks gift card is typically $5. This minimum applies to both physical and e-gift cards. It’s important to note that the balance on a Starbucks gift card cannot exceed $500 at any time.
Here’s Where to Buy Discounted Starbucks Gift Cards
A safe way to purchase Starbucks gift cards for cash back rewards is with the Fluz app. Think of it as securing a discount each time you purchase a Starbucks gift card.
I’ve used the Fluz app on many occasions to earn upwards of 25% cash back on my gift card purchases including Starbucks, Macy’s and Walmart gift cards.
Read more about the Fluz rebate app.
Free Starbucks Gift Cards Conclusion
I’ve outlined the 9 ways in which I get free Starbucks gift cards every single week. Use one or use them all to satisfy your Starbucks coffee craving on the cheap!
Next, make sure to not miss the next Starbucks Happy Hour, where loyalty reward members can participate in Starbuck BOGO deal promotions!
And if you want to get more free stuff, then check out how I get free $50 Amazon gift cards!