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'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.

Barcroft Media | Getty Images

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.

"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

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

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