# Loyalty Program Giveaways Starbucks is Offering a Free Year of Gold Membership for a Limited Time By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2016-04-13 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gold-membership References: [brandeating](http://www.brandeating.com/2016/04/starbucks-giving-year-of-gold-memberships-with-any-purchase-through-may-2-2016.html) & [members.starbucks](http://members.starbucks.ca/) [Starbucks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-monday) recently revamped its [Starbucks Rewards loyalty program](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-for-life-merrython) and now the company is celebrating by giving customers a free year of Gold membership if they make a purchase prior to May 2, 2016. Under the old Starbucks Rewards program, customers needed to make 30 separate purchases, or accumulate 30 stars, in order to achieve Gold membership. Now, customers need to accumulate 300 stars, or spend about $150, in order to reach the same level. The benefit to reaching this status is that customers receive a free food or drink item for each 125 stars they collect and they also receive a [personalize gold membership card](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gold-tumbler). However, with the new promotion in place, customers can attain a year of gold membership for free simply by using a registered Starbucks card or the Starbucks mobile app to pay for purchases before May 2nd. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.6/10 - Popularity: 27% | Activity: 73% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Interactive](https://www.trendhunter.com/interactive) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Revamped Loyalty Programs:** Companies are revamping their loyalty programs to offer more enticing rewards to customers. - **Simplified Membership Requirements:** Businesses are simplifying their membership requirements to make it easier for customers to achieve elite status. - **Limited Time Promotions:** Companies are offering limited time promotions to attract new customers and incentivize existing ones. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Coffee and Beverage:** Coffee and beverage companies can innovate their loyalty programs to increase customer retention and attract new customers. - **Retail:** Retailers can create simplified membership tiers to improve customer loyalty and increase sales. - **Mobile Payment Services:** Companies that provide mobile payment services can partner with businesses to offer exclusive discounts and rewards for using their platform. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Free QSR Coffee Discounts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-monday.md) - [Cafe Loyalty Program Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-rewards-members.md) - [Connect-the-Dot Coffee Rewards](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coffee-loop.md) - [Discounted Cafe Drink Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-yay-day.md) - [Member-Exclusive Cold Foam Offers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cold-foam-days.md) - [Free Coffee Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/free-coffee-promotion.md) - [Half-Priced Indulgent Beverages](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/yay-day-offer.md) - [Eco-Conscious Coffee Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/costa-coffee-3.md) - [Coffee-Focused Rewards Programs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-human-bean.md)