New Starbucks Rewards will make it easier to earn a free treat, but harder to reach gold status.

A revamp of the coffee giant's loyalty programme sees a shift from three stars for every £1 spent at Starbucks to ten stars per £1. But, there's a catch.

New rules mean customers need 2,500 stars for Gold status, a huge increase from the previous 450 stars. This means members will need to spend £250 instead of £150 to reach this level.

But, previously, customers needed 150 stars—a £50 spend—to even start cashing in on perks. With the updated scheme, customers earn

  • a hot brewed coffee, tea or Americano for 130 - with the new system, that's £13 spent

  • For 300 stars customers get a treat from the bakery selection, including pastries and muffins

  • For 500 stars bag any size handcrafted drink 

  • For 1,000 stars it's exclusive Starbucks merchandise like a reusable cup

What about my old Starbucks stars?

Existing stars have been multiplied by 3.33, so 300 stars have now increased to 1000 stars, for example.

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Starbucks explained: "The threshold to reach Gold has been updated to 2500 Stars. Introducing new products and tiers for star redemption and refining gold level status. Your star value, credit, any free drinks and reward status still remain.

"We'll automatically update your existing stars to the new earn rate and your stars are still redeemable for up to two years."

This follows Costa Coffee's changes, and introduction of a swaps feature in its loyalty program, allowing two beans to be exchanged for extras like syrups or cream. Costa Club members earn one bean per drink, or two when using a reusable cup.