For several years, I had the sweetest little tradition of giving away coffee to my followers on my birthday. Instead of just receiving gifts, I loved getting to turn it around and give back to the people who show up for me every single day. Every time I did it, my inbox filled up with questions asking how I pulled it off, so I put together this post to walk you through exactly how to do it yourself.
Whether you want to do this for your birthday, a milestone, a community celebration, or just because, it’s one of the most fun and memorable things you can do for your audience.
What You’ll Need
- A brand new Starbucks gift card (purchased in store)
- The Starbucks app on your phone
- Canva (free version works great)
Step 1: Buy a Brand New Starbucks Gift Card
Head to your nearest Starbucks location and purchase a gift card for however much you want to give away. The key here is to use a brand new card, not one you already use for yourself. You want a dedicated card just for this giveaway so that you’re only sharing the barcode for that specific card, not your personal one.
Step 2: Add the Card to Your Starbucks App
Once you have your card, open the Starbucks app on your phone and follow these steps:
- Tap Pay at the bottom of the screen
- Tap the down arrow next to your available balance
- Scroll to the bottom and select Add Starbucks Card
- Enter the 16-digit card number found on the back of your card
- Enter the 8-digit PIN found under the scratch-off strip on the back
- Tap Done once your card loads
- Tap the Pay button on your newly added card
You’ll now see a screen with a barcode at the bottom. This barcode is what your community will use to redeem their coffee. Take a screenshot of this screen. On an iPhone, press the Side Button + Home Button (or Side Button + Volume Up on newer models) at the same time.
Step 3: Crop the Screenshot on Your Phone
You don’t need the entire screenshot, just the barcode. Here’s how to crop it quickly right from your phone:
On iPhone:
- Open your Photos app and find the screenshot
- Tap Edit in the top right corner
- Tap the Crop icon (the square with arrows)
- Drag the corners of the crop box to frame just the barcode area
- Tap Done to save
On Android:
- Open your Gallery or Photos app and find the screenshot
- Tap Edit
- Select Crop and drag the handles to frame just the barcode
- Tap Save
Now you have a clean barcode image ready to use in your graphic.
Step 4: Create Your Graphic in Canva
This is where the fun part comes in. Open Canva on your phone or desktop and search for “gift coffee” in the template search bar. From the category filter, select Instagram Post and you’ll find a whole collection of ready-made templates designed for exactly this kind of giveaway. Pick one you love, swap in your barcode image, add your own text, and make it feel like you.
A few tips for your graphic:
- Add the balance amount so people know what they’re getting
- Include any instructions for how to use it (first come, first served)
- Keep the barcode large enough to scan clearly
- Brand it to your colors and fonts so it feels cohesive with your content
Step 5: Share It With Your Community
Once your graphic is ready, post it to your social media channels, share it in your email newsletter, or drop it in your Facebook group. Make it feel like a celebration, because it is one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when the balance runs out?
Once the balance on the card hits zero, it simply won’t work anymore. Anyone who tries to use it after that point won’t be able to redeem anything. If you want the giveaway to last longer, load a higher amount onto the card before you start.
Can I see who spent what on the card?
No. The Starbucks app doesn’t show you a breakdown of who used the card or how much each person spent. You can see the remaining balance, but there’s no transaction history tied to individual people. It’s truly a first come, first served kind of giveaway.
How can I stop someone from using the entire balance at once?
Honestly, you can’t, and that’s just part of how this works. Anyone who has the barcode can use it, and there’s no limit you can set per person. One way to reduce the risk is to share it as a story rather than a permanent post, so it disappears after 24 hours. You can also mention in your post that it’s first come, first served and encourage people to be generous and only use it once. Most communities are respectful about it, but it’s good to set expectations upfront.
Does the person redeeming it need to have the Starbucks app?
No. The barcode can be scanned directly from a phone screen at the register, just like a regular Starbucks card. They don’t need an account or the app, they just show the barcode to the barista.
Can I do this with a digital Starbucks gift card instead of a physical one?
Yes. If you purchase a digital Starbucks gift card online or through the app, you can add it the same way and follow the same steps to get the barcode. Just make sure it’s a separate card from your personal one.
Can I use a different coffee brand?
This tutorial is specific to Starbucks since their app makes the barcode sharing process straightforward. Other coffee chains may have different apps and policies, so the process won’t be identical, but the general concept of loading a gift card and screenshotting the barcode may work similarly depending on the app.
Starbucks is a registered trademark of Starbucks Corporation. This post is not affiliated with or endorsed by Starbucks in any way.
Ready to turn your ideas into something more?
Our feminine WordPress themes are designed to help you build a beautiful, professional website — whether you’re starting a blog, selling products, or growing a business.
Do you usually load a certain amount? I’m confused as to who so many people would be able to use it.
Hi Beth,
You’ll get one card and you put whatever amount you’d like on it, so say in my case I did $100. I share that code on social media (or wherever) and whoever wants to use that card can until the $100 is gone. It’s not that everyone gets the same amount, they are just using up the entire amount that is put on the card.
Hope that makes sense!
How do you monitor how long the barcode stays active? What about repeat uses? More information on managing the cost of using it would be great. Thank you!
Hi Charlsey,
I typically just check the balance every so often within my Starbucks app and once the card is used up, I delete the post from social media so it can’t be scanned any longer.
As for managing the cost, I only put a certain amount on the card. For example, I put $100 on a card, and once that amount is gone it’s gone. I hope that makes sense!
This is totally awesome and I want to do this for my birthday this year- THANK YOU!! 😍
You’re so welcome Sarah! <3
Hi Lauren,
I found your article and see that it’s older. I was wondering if this method still works? I would like to offer this to our followers to show our appreciation!
Thank you!
Hi Caitlin,
I just updated the instructions to match the updated version of the app, so this tutorial is still great!!
Is there any way to prevent someone from buying themselves a gift card using up the remained of the balance on the one you’re sharing?
This is a great question and I don’t believe you can. I’ve done this several times though and have never had this issue.
Starbucks gift card is the best you can have in a gift or u can send in a a gift or both
I used to do this all the time but sadly someone went in and took the full $100 for themselves last time I did it. now I am looking for other group gifting solutions.
Oh No, is there a way to prevent this from happening?
Is there any way to keep them from using the rewards/stars associated with your account? Shared a card, and they cleaned me out.
Hi Madeline,
I’m so sorry this happened to you! I’m not sure if there is or not. Maybe it’s best to create a separate account just for this purpose.
Hope this helps!
It looks like (on android, at least) you are not able to take a screenshot “for security measures”…any other ideas on how to do this?
You can load smaller amounts and keep adding as it goes to prevent them from taking the whole amount. That is what I have learned the hard way.
Will it show you where the people used the card and how much of it they each used?
Unfortunately it will not!
I just saw this conversation and went to Starbucks to see if they have a good solution to this. It looks like they do! Here is what I copied and pasted from their main website:
Business gifting — simplified
Bulk send physical or digital Starbucks Cards to gift, reward, incentivize, or show appreciation towards your customers, clients and team members. Minimum 15 cards per order.
Hope this is helpful!