Starbucks offers free coffee for frontline workers: how to claim yours

The Seattle-based coffee giant announced Tuesday that until 31 December all front line workers will get a free drink in all Starbucks US company-operated locations and select licensed stores. The perk, according to Starbucks is "in response to the recent rise in covid-19 cases and to recognize the significant efforts of the front-line responder and health care community."

Back in the spring, between March and May Starbucks claims it gave away over 2 million coffees in a similar pledge to gift a free cup of coffee to healthcare workers. And it doesn’t stop at free cups of Joe; the coffee chain has also rolled out a series of other altruistic measures during the pandemic, including a $100,000 donation to the National Alliance on Mental Illness and a public promise to give surprise care packages and gift cards to 50,000 frontline responders this holiday season.

Who is eligible for a free Starbucks coffee?

Those eligible to redeem the offer are front-line health care providers and first responders, which include: doctors, nurses, public health workers, pharmacists, dispatchers, fire fighters, paramedics, EMTs, law enforcement officers, dentists and dental hygienists, mental health workers (therapist, psychologist, social worker, counselor, etc.), hospital staff such as janitor/housekeeping/security, military on active duty, contact tracers, vaccine and pharmaceutical researchers, pilots, flight attendants, TSA, and medical researchers.

There is no limit to the offer, the company told CBS News. Those who qualify can claim the deal as many times as they would like through the end of 2020.

What you get and how to claim your free drink

In the announcement Starbucks said that "any customer who identifies as a front-line responder to the covid-19 outbreak" will receive a free tall brewed coffee, hot or iced.

Though the Starbucks website doesn’t specify the need to present valid worker ID in-store, this may vary depending on location so it’s a good idea to bring your ID with you to pick up your no-charge caffeine hit!

Gratitude from communities via Starbucks

"It has been an extraordinarily difficult year, especially for the front-line responders who are serving our communities," Virginia Tenpenny, Starbucks vice president for global social impact, said in a news release. "We want to show our deep gratitude for those who support and protect us every day with a small gesture of kindness and a cup of coffee."

"Hopefully other brands will join us in thinking about how can they use their platform to again show support," Tenpenny said. "Little deposits in morale can really go a long way, just so that they feel the support from our community."

Multinationals join Starbucks to offer freebies

Throughout the pandemic, brands have shown thanks for essential workers and first responders in big ways, from McDonald’s giving out free meals to healthcare workers to Krispy Kreme offering free doughnuts to mail and package carriers. 

The coronavirus is once again ravaging states across the US with over 4 million cases reported in November alone, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.