'What a Pleasant Surprise to Brighten My Morning': Starbucks Is Giving Out Freebies Today, and Customers Are Ecstatic The company is giving out reusable red cups for the fourth year in a row.
By Emily Rella Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It's the giving season, and Starbucks is wasting no time getting customers in the holiday spirit with its promos, new seasonal drinks and today, free cups.
On November 18, the coffee chain will give out a free, reusable red cup to any customer who orders one of the menu's seasonal fall or holiday drinks.
The drinks that qualify are the following:
- Apple Crisp Macchiato
- Chestnut Praline Latte
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew
- Caramel Brûlée Latte
- Irish Cream Cold Brew
- Peppermint Mocha
- Sugar Cookie Almondmilk Latte
- Toasted White Chocolate Mocha
- Hot Chocolate
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Toasted White Hot Chocolate
Starbucks has been running the red cup promotion for four years, with 2021 marking the 50th anniversary of the company's founding.
To celebrate the anniversary and support the company's sustainability initiatives (it hopes to reduce waste by 50% in the next nine years), the cups have been crafted out of 50% recycled material.
Related: Fans Can Now Order Taylor Swift's Favorite Starbucks Drink
Because the cups are only available in stores while supplies last, excited fans took to social media to share about their successes in earning this year's cup, many lining up before the sun had even risen.
Did anyone else get a red cup at Starbucks? #redcupday #starbucks #redcupseason pic.twitter.com/WlpzIMyO4z
— Jessica Truong (@jesstru0ng_) November 6, 2021
I will not wake up early to exercise but I will wake up early to get my free @Starbucks red cup pic.twitter.com/WJIEuvTzqX
— Thor is an Angel (@BirdAppName) November 18, 2021
yes I got up at 5am to get a free red cup at @starbucks pic.twitter.com/Y03aKMVN7N
— zeke (@zkstrr) November 18, 2021
Good morning.
— Xmas Poi (@HZKfan) November 18, 2021
After 4 years off missing it, I finally got the holiday Starbucks red cup!! pic.twitter.com/Qiezj1sXD3
Success! Got a reusable red cup! Well two, the barista said I was the first one to get them from the store I went to. #starbucksredcup pic.twitter.com/Ppcfvqlp9k
— Zulma (@ZulmaR08) November 18, 2021
Free red holiday Starbucks reusable cup?!?
— Eric (@FutureMDEric) November 18, 2021
What a pleasant surprise to brighten my morning. pic.twitter.com/TKklf4q6Dg
Have yourself a Merry@Starbucks red cup day! #ItsRedCupSeason pic.twitter.com/R4lKiY3KTb
— Txrzel (@Txrzel17) November 18, 2021
"As we build on our strong start to the holiday season, we're delighted to bring back our reusable red cup giveaway for the fourth straight year," Brady Brewer, chief marketing officer for Starbucks, said in a statement. "The reusable red cup has become a tradition for customers each holiday season and is a step towards reducing single-use cup waste as we work towards our planet-positive goals."
Customers can snag their freebie no matter how they order, whether it's in-store (via app, mobile or counter order), via curbside pickup or via Uber eats.
Earlier this week, Starbucks announced a partnership with superstar Taylor Swift where customers could ask for "Taylor's Version" at the register and receive the singer's favorite order — a grande nonfat caramel latte — in honor of the re-release of Swift's 2012 album Red.
Starbucks was up 14.01% year over year as of Thursday morning.
Related: $29 Custom Starbucks Drink Has Baristas in a Frenzy, Internet Confused
