How To Get Free Coffee from Starbucks, Costa, Caffè Nero & More
Here’s how to get your early morning lecture coffee for free.
If you can’t go to a lecture without buying a coffee you’re probably aware of how much it adds up. While it is cheaper to bring coffee from home, it just doesn’t hit the same. Plus, there’s nothing better than treating yourself here and there even when you know you could be saving money.
Luckily, there are some simple and easy ways to help you get free or cheaper coffee thanks to the loyalty schemes the high street coffee shops run. In case you didn’t know, we’ve rounded up the best deals and loyalty schemes from all of the big coffee shops so whichever one you find yourself visiting, you’ll know how you can save some cash and get free coffee in return.
Loading …Pret
If you don’t have a Pret subscription you’re missing out. When Pret first announced its coffee subscription in 2021, it seemed almost too good to be true. However, it’s real and is a great way to save money. While it’s not technically free as you do have to pay £30 a month, you’ll be able to get 5 drinks a day every day for the whole month. This is 155 drinks a month for the price of around 7 drinks. If we do some girl math that’s basically free.
You’ll also get 20% off food if you have a Pret subscription so you can treat yourself to cake to go with your coffee every time you visit. Plus, for your first month you can try the subscription for half price, paying just £15 for a month of unlimited coffee.
Another hack is that Pret baristas often give out free food or drinks to select customers each day. There’s a chance you could go to Pret and be selected as one of these lucky customers by being a regular or just being a polite customer. While this doesn’t guarantee free coffee every time you visit, you never know as it could be your lucky day.
Starbucks
The Starbucks loyalty scheme allows customers to collect points on the app which will unlock different membership tiers. Once you have the app you’ll collect stars each time you make a purchase from Starbucks, you just need to remember to scan the app when you pay.
For every 150 stars you collect, you’ll unlock a free drink which can have as many added extras as you like, it’s truly free. The downside is that you only get 3 stars per £1 you spend, so if you spent £10 on a drink and a sandwich you’d gain 30 points, which could take a while to 150.
However, collected stars can also level up your membership status which unlocks further rewards. New memberships are at green level by default, but once you’ve earned 450 stars you’ll be a gold member meaning you’ll get a free drink on your birthday every year. Plus, gold members also get free extra shots, syrup, and whipped cream so you’ll save some money on each order.
Costa
Costa’s loyalty scheme allows you to collect beans every time you order. You’ll need to download the app to start collecting and you get 1 bean every time you order. Once you collect 10 beans you’ll get a free drink, so if you’re a regular it should be pretty easy to get your free drink quickly.
Costa Club members also get a free cake on their birthday and if you bring a reusable cup to the store you’ll get an extra bean. This means if you bring a reusable cup 5 times, you’ll have earned your 10 beans and you’ll get your free drink. The app will also have plenty of additional freebies and rewards throughout the year, so if you’re a regular at Costa it’s well worth getting.
Caffè Nero
Caffè Nero’s loyalty scheme is pretty similar to Costa and Starbucks. You can sign up and download the app and collect points per order. If you buy 9 drinks you’ll get the 10th for free which is pretty decent if you’re a regular. Just like Costa you’ll get a bonus stamp on your loyalty card or point if you bring your reusable cup which means you can unlock your free drink faster.
Plus, if you refer a friend to the Caffè Nero app you’ll get a free hot drink once they’ve made their first purchase.
Greggs
The easiest way to get a free coffee from Greggs is to download the app, as all app users will receive a free coffee as a reward just for downloading it. If you’ve already done this before, you can try using a different email address to redeem the freebie again.
Once you’ve started using the Greggs app there are plenty of ways for you to earn freebies. You can win free hot food and drinks and the app will track your purchases. You have to buy 9 of something in order to get the 10th for free. So if you buy 9 sausage rolls you’ll get a sausage roll for free and if you buy 9 coffees, you’ll get the 10th for free.
Another way to get free coffee from Greggs is to be an o2 Priority member. You’ll be able to redeem a free coffee from Greggs once a week via the o2 Priority app, but you’ll have to be quick as it’s first come first served. Once they’ve given out a certain amount of free hot drinks per day, they’ll close the offer.
Plus, don’t forget you can also get a student discount at Greggs with your Student Beans account!
