I wouldn’t exactly call myself a Starbucks fanatic, but I go often enough that I make good use of the Starbucks mobile app and hold Gold status in the “My Starbucks Rewards” program. As part of the program, members using the app receive periodic special Starbucks offers and apps/music that can be downloaded for free, some of which are useful (i.e. FlightTrack Pro), and others which aren’t.
One in particular this weekend caught my eye on Coffeebrewster, though. Through September 15th, 2015, Starbucks is providing members who sign up for Lyft a free ride, plus 12 bonus stars in My Starbucks Rewards after your first ride.
The offer is valid only for new Lyft sign-ups, with a $20 limit on the free ride. If you are a Gold member of the Starbucks loyalty program, the 12 bonus stars is enough for a free drink, or if you aren’t Gold, gets you roughly 1/3 of the way there (30 stars in one year gets you Gold status). You also must sign up via the link provided in the Starbucks app. If you’re already a member, you’ve likely already seen the offer, but if you aren’t, now would be a good time to consider signing up. I would assume the Lyft offer will be available for sign-ups before September 15th, and even if you don’t plan to go to Starbucks very often, you’re still getting a free Lyft out of the deal. And it’s a pretty good deal; $20 on Uber gets me almost all the way home from Addison to Plano, and with Lyft rates generally lower, it’s likely to get me a little farther still. And of course, free coffee is good. There is one significant limitation, however – the Lyft app requires iOS 8 or higher to download. If you’re a cheapskate like me, and are still using your 4 year old iPhone 4 that you get second hand from your father-in-law for free, you’re SOL. Teaches me for being cheap, I guess.
Remember, if you’re traveling to the Dallas area, Lyft is now permitted to operate from both of the region’s airports, DFW International and Dallas Love Field. In addition, Southwest Airlines customers are provided a $10 coupon to ride Lyft to or from Love Field – meaning with the $20 credit added on, you can make it to pretty much anywhere in the Metroplex without spending a dime.
