Starbucks Will Charge $1 Extra For A Change To These Popular Drinks & It's Not About Ice
The TikTok warnings were half right!
Starbucks Refresher iced drinks.
Starbucks has officially added a new charge for customers who modify its popular Refresher drinks in a certain way, in a controversial move that TikTokers were warned about earlier this year.
Effective as of May 9, the coffee mega-chain will add an additional $1 fee for anyone who orders a Refresher iced drink without water.
The charge is to account for the "extra ingredients" that Starbucks baristas use when no water is involved, a Starbucks spokesperson told Narcity.
"This change allows us to provide a more consistent approach to customization, similar to other beverage customizations such as adding an espresso shot or syrup, which incur an additional charge."
They added that the change affects customers who order at the coffee chain in both the United States and Canada.
A Few Starbucks workers and fans warned about these changes in early April, and explained that it’s all about making up for the cost of using more base in the drink.
“Starbucks is giving us another price increase just in time for summer,” said one Starbucks fan in a viral video on TikTok, where she goes by the name Rayah Sunshine. “This increase goes in effect for their summer launch starting on May 9.”
The woman posted her video on April 7 but she was right about the May 9 start date for the changes. She also shared photos of what appeared to be corporate guidance for baristas, in a video that's piled up over 1.5 million views.
@4rayah.sunshine Another price increase! What do you think of these changes? Will you make more drinks at home? #starbucks #starbiestok #starbucksrefreshers #priceincrease #starbucks2023 #starbies #refreshers #starbucksdrinks ##sheknows##lightice##greenscreen
"If you say no water, you will get charged an extra $1 for them adding more base," she said.
"Additionally, if you say no ice or light ice, you also will get charged this dollar because they have to add more base to make up for the space lost."
Rayah Sunshine wasn't the only one warning about charges for no ice, as another barista captured viral fame with her claims before deleting her video last month.
However, it sounds like those warnings about charges for light ice were wrong.
Is Starbucks charging for light ice?
Starbucks told Narcity in April that there will be no changes to its ice policy.
The company's spokesperson confirmed that again in a new statement on May 9, after the Refresher water charge was announced.
"I can confirm Starbucks Refreshers Beverages can still be customized with light or no ice free of charge," the Starbucks spokesperson said.
That means you can order a cold Starbucks coffee and hold the ice if you like, because you won't get charged!
Starbucks' 2023 summer menu is available now.