How To Get Free Starbucks On Your Birthday

13 Things Starbucks Employees Won't Tell You

Is water free at Starbucks? Is the Puppuccino a real drink? Here's the inside scoop on Starbucks.

1 / 13

You deserve a free birthday drink

Make your birthday even happier with a birthday reward. Starbucks will give you almost anything on the menu, including a drink, food item or bottled beverage, totally free on your birthday. Follow the rules, though—you need to join Starbucks Rewards program at least seven days prior to your birthday, provide your birthday in your Starbucks Rewards account information, and make at least one Star-earning transaction before your birthday each year. Celebrate with a Birthday Cake Frappuccino!

2 / 13

Starbucks Free Water Claire Krieger/Taste of Home

The water is free

Starbucks is all about the coffee, but maybe you're looking for a refreshing water to go with your Frappuccino. You can get a cup of filtered water for free at Starbucks.

3 / 13

Zhang Peng/Getty Images

The Puppuccino is real

Here's a paw-some tip! You might have seen friends share adorable photos of their dogs sticking their snouts into a Starbucks cup. Never fear, their furry friend isn't drinking a double espresso. Most Starbucks' employees will make your dog a free Puppuccino, which is whipped cream squirted into a small cup. This has been an unofficial menu item for some time, but in May 2021, the chain filed to trademark "Puppuccino." See what other chains have secret menus for dogs.

4 / 13

It's simple to save 10 cents on a drink

Save the Earth! Bring your own clean cup to Starbucks and you'll save 10 cents on your drink. The chain paused the personal-cup program during the early days of the pandemic, but now has a contact-free system where your barista never touches your cup. And that's one less disposable cup in the trash.

5 / 13

There are free refills

You're not going to get a Frappuccino or latte refilled for free, but you can get free refills of brewed coffee (including cold brew and iced coffee) or tea. Just use your Starbucks card or the mobile app to buy the drink, then present it again for the refill.

This only works during the same in-store visit, so don't leave and try and come back for a refill. Check out this list of Starbucks drinks for kids!

6 / 13

Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images

The Starbucks logo isn't a mermaid

That's not really a mermaid in the company logo. She's a siren, a creature from Greek mythology whose haunting song lured sailors to wreck their ships on rocks. The company's name comes from Starbuck, the chief mate in Moby Dick, and founders sought out a nautical logo to go with that sea-themed brand. Here's a hidden detail no one notices in the Starbucks logo.

7 / 13

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) seal is displayed in the lobby of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia, on August 14, 2008. AFP PHOTO/SAUL LOEB (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) SAUL LOEB/Getty Images

There's a secret Starbucks for the CIA

There's one Starbucks location where employees will never ask for your name to put on your drink. It's located at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, and is frequented only by CIA employees—you can't just walk in off the street for coffee. Employees undergo background checks before they're allowed to serve up drinks.

This Starbucks is called "Store Number 1," but really, shouldn't it be "Store 007"?

8 / 13

There's a signing Starbucks for the Deaf community

Washington, D.C. is home to the nation's first Starbucks Signing Store, staffed with employees who are fluent in American Sign Language. It's located near Gallaudet University, a bilingual university that uses both English and ASL. In addition to the ASL-fluent staff, it features high-tech options to assist with communications, including digital notepads and a console with two-way keyboards. Hearing customers can stop in, too, of course—and they just might learn something.

9 / 13

You can earn Stars for grocery products

You already know Starbucks has a rewards program where you earn points, called "Stars," to redeem for free stuff. But did you also know that you can also earn Stars when you buy Starbucks products—like K-cups, coffee beans and bottled drinks—at the grocery store? Keep your grocery receipt, activate Receipt Verification online, and then snap and upload pictures of your receipt.

10 / 13

Starbucks makes keto drinks

There's no special keto drink menu at Starbucks, but you can stick to your keto plan and still enjoy a tasty low-carb beverage. Plain brewed coffee fills the bill, obviously, but there are other secret menu keto drinks. Here are the most popular keto Starbucks drinks, including a sipper that tastes like peach cobbler.

11 / 13

Taste of Home

It's easy to make Starbucks drinks at home

Maybe you don't live near a Starbucks, or you want to save money and drink fancy coffee beverages at home. You can indulge in these copycat Starbucks recipes, including the tasty salted caramel mocha, and, my favorite, their mouthwatering pumpkin bread.

12 / 13

Starbucks has a happy hour

Who doesn't love a two-for-one offer? Usually, happy hour is on a Thursday from 2-7 p.m. at participating stores, but it's not every single Thursday. You'll need to sign up for Starbucks Rewards to be notified about the schedule,

When it's on, though, you can buy one drink and get a second of equal or lesser value for free. It's good on espresso drinks, Frappuccinos, seasonal drinks, iced teas, cold coffees and nitro drinks. Here are some awesome caffeine-free Starbucks drinks for the afternoon.

13 / 13

The Starbucks aprons have a color code

Ever wondered what the black Starbucks apron means? Baristas often wear color-coded or embroidered aprons, such as American flag-embroidered aprons that celebrate veterans and military spouses, or an apron embroidered with a mortarboard to mark graduates of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. Find the best Starbucks drink for your zodiac sign.

Originally Published: July 26, 2021

Sign up for recipes
to your inbox

Recipes from real home cooks, tested in our kitchens and delivered right to your inbox!

cover

Subscribe & SAVE Save Up To 80%!