Starbucks Is Giving Away Free Drinks & Bonus Stars During Its Summer Sweepstakes

Your coffee runs are about to get a whole lot better, because Starbucks' Summer Game is back and there are plenty of prizes up for grabs. If you're not familiar with how the annual online game works, here's how to play Starbucks' Summer Game for 2020. It's your chance to earn free Stars, free drinks, and more.

Starbucks' Summer Game begins Tuesday, July 21 at 8 a.m. PT, and it runs through Sunday, Aug. 23 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Before you can enter, you'll need an active Starbucks Rewards account. You can easily create an account for free if you're not a member yet. Once you're set up, visit the Starbucks' Summer Game website and sign into your Rewards account. After you register and view the onboarding experience, you'll automatically receive one free game play.

A game play unlocks a game which you can play to win either an instant win game prize or one entry into the sweepstakes. To play, you "drop" your game ball in the game that kind of looks like the Plinko board on The Price Is Right. The ball will either land in a bucket to get you an instant win prize, or it will miss the bucket, which enters you in the grand prize sweepstakes. You can earn game plays every time you visit Starbucks, and you can receive a maximum of two plays per day.

You'll receive two game plays for your first purchase during the sweepstakes time period, excluding alcoholic beverages, Starbucks cards, and Starbucks Card reloads. For every subsequent purchase, you'll receive one game play. To make a purchase count toward the game, you'll need to use a Starbucks Card registered to your Rewards account or a registered digital Starbucks Card on your Starbucks app.

After you make your purchase, head to your Rewards account on the Starbucks Summer Game website. You can follow the links to play the game. To increase your chances of winning, you can enter a bonus play. If you make a qualifying purchase and play the game 13 or more times, you can earn a bonus play. You can only earn one bonus play during the sweepstakes period.

There are a variety of different instant win game prizes you could snag, including 2,500 first prizes of 200 Bonus Stars; 5,000 second prizes of 150 Bonus Stars; and 150,000 third prizes of a coupon for a free Cold Brew or Iced Coffee Beverage of any size at Starbucks. Other prizes include an Uber Eats promo code for $10 off, a $10 Starbucks digital gift card, a Starbucks Summer Game towel, a S'mores Frappuccino pool floatie, and more. You can see the full prize readout on the official rules.

To enter the giveaway without making a purchase, you'll need to visit the Starbucks' Summer Game website and submit the entry form. After you've completed the form, you'll get an email with a link to enter the game site and sign into your account. Once you've signed in, you'll receive one game play, and you can follow the links to play the game. After you've played the game 13 or more times, you'll be able to earn an bonus game play, which will be a new option on the form when you qualify.

The Summer Game isn't new, but the sweepstakes prizes are. Last year, the grand prize was a trip to Costa Rica, but the 2020 grand prize is all about getting more Starbucks sips and bites in the form of free bonus stars for your Starbucks Rewards account. Starbucks will select 100 grand prize winners on or around Monday, Aug. 24. Based on the number of entries during the sweepstakes period, the grand prize will be between 500 and 30,000 bonus stars. FWIW, 30,000 bonus stars would be enough for 200 free handcrafted drinks.

You need to be at least 18 years old and a resident of the United States/Washington D.C to be eligible for prizes. The summer sweepstakes officially ends on Sunday Aug. 23, so you'll want to try your luck as soon as you can.

If you go to Starbucks to make a purchase and earn a game play, follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) coronavirus pandemic guidance as of June 15. The CDC recommends avoiding unnecessary trips, wearing a cloth face covering when you do go out, using contactless payment methods when possible, and sanitizing your hands after leaving stores. Starbucks' safety precautions include implementing social distancing for in-store pick up, having baristas and customers wear face masks, and offering contactless payment options. You can stay updated on how stores are safely providing orders by checking the Starbucks App.

If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and cough, call your doctor before going to get tested. If you’re anxious about the virus’s spread in your community, visit the CDC for up-to-date information and resources, or seek out mental health support. You can find all Elite Daily's coverage of coronavirus here.