How to Save on Your Daily Dose of Coffee

Today we brought back lifestyle blogger (Healthnic) John Adams (who wrote 10 Canadian Places that Serve Free Food on Your Birthday). Today he’s going to share some of the major coffee reward programs specific to Canadians. Thank you for taking the time to come back and be a guest writing John!

Who doesn’t like free beverages, especially if it’s a strong and steamy cup of coffee to fuel you up. Most of us crave a lot more than one cup a day, which makes it quite a costly obsession. Making coffee at home would be rather inexpensive, but let’s be honest, it won’t be as good as the one we get at Starbucks, Second Cup, Tim Hortons, or McDonald’s. Moreover, many of us don’t have the time, as we are too busy with estate planning (affiliate link) or whatever else that helps us make a living and afford ready-made coffee. If you are a hardcore coffee addict who likes to splurge on their weakness, this article will come in handy. Each of the coffee chains I just mentioned offer awesome loyalty programs for regular customers. The more often you buy yourself a cup of coffee, the more you can redeem for free!

Starbucks Rewards

Starbucks is probably not the best place to save money, but you will certainly benefit from the rewards program if it’s your go-to place for coffee anyway. To get started, you’ll have to fill out their online membership form or simply download the app. Members earns two stars for every dollar spent; you can collect your first free coffee just after collecting 50 stars. There are plenty of ways to earn more stars fast and members get a few additional advantages as well, including:

• A free beverage on your birthday
• Free refills on brewed coffee and tea
• Other personalized offers

McDonald’s McCafe Rewards

Instead of the conventional points system, McDonald’s favors the old school punch card method. You can opt for the digital or manual card system and get a sticker on each cup of your favorite hot beverage. Every eighth cup is free, even when you purchase them on the same day. McDonald’s McCafe rewards provide the highest ROI if you play your cards right. In addition, you can take advantage of McCafe mobile rewards that counts purchases by scanning your app. Use both schemes together to redeem two free medium cups of coffee after seven.

Second Cup Rewards

Second Cup offers a simpler reward system, i.e. you earn ten points for every dollar spent. Once you have reached 500 points, you can order a cup of coffee off the menu (any size or type) free of charge. If you have more patience and like to brew your coffee at home, collect 1000 points and redeem half a pound of their exquisite coffee beans. Members may get their hands on other exciting offers as well.

Tim Hortons Tim’s Rewards

Tim Hortons Tim’s Reward program is quite similar to McDonald’s MCafe reward system, but with greater restrictions. Each purchase needs to be worth at least $0.50 and two purchases have to be thirty minutes apart. If you buy three cups of coffee together, they will be counted as a single purchase; therefore, it takes a lot more time to reach that free cup. While McDonald’s allows the eighth cup to be free, Tim Hortons offers the eighth purchase free of charge. On the bright side, each free redemption also counts as a purchase.