Starbucks App Review

My husband is a coffee junkie so of course he has the Starbucks app. It is very convenient for him and he loves the freebies they offer. He also likes the membership perks he can get and is constantly trying to earn more stars to make sure he stays in the gold level.

One of the things my husband loves about the Starbucks app is that you don’t have to have a debit or credit card to make purchases. There is an easy and convenient tab in the app that is all about gift cards and even offers multiple gift card choices with pretty designs. To me, this is a continuation of the Starbucks brand, appealing to the beauty and whimsicalness of their customers. The one downfall to using a Starbucks gift card is that in order to reload it online you must have a minimum of $25. A smaller amount is not supported online.

The app’s messages tab shows you the personalized freebies that you have earned. For example, today my husband’s free offer was that he could earn five stars if he spent $10 or more today. Stars count toward your membership. There are three levels of membership: beginner, green, and gold. Once you earn 21 stars then you have earned a green membership. You can now get free refills if you are in the store and collect birthday coupons. Once you earn 30 stars you have reached the gold level and earn a free drink for every 12 stars you earn thereafter.

The stars may seem like a silly thing to collect and earn, but once you start getting freebies you will collect those stars with a crazy determination. It is a smart marketing ploy; honestly, because once you have earned a higher level you never want to go back down to the lower level. You will work as hard as you can to make sure you stay at the higher level and retain the perks that you so rightly deserve.

I liked the list of items that the app displayed. When you hit the order button, the app will give you a detailed description of the item and customization options. For the ancho chipotle chicken, a customizable option was to add sriracha. The app also includes a detailed list of calories, calories from fat, total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbs, dietary fiber, sugars, and protein. Surprisingly, it also includes list of vitamins A, vitamins C, calcium and iron (as a percentage of your daily diet, like you might see on the back of a cereal box). Lastly, I was pleased to see that the app showed potential allergens for each item. For example, for the ancho chipotle chicken, potential allergens contained egg, milk, and wheat.

I also thought it was pretty cool that you could download Spotify and listen to the same music they play inside of Starbucks. Again, this is something that not coffee shops or restaurants do. It is another example of how Starbucks takes its brand to heart and is willing to commit to that brand, whether in the store, on their website, or visiting their app.