Starbucks to sell Lyft gift cards, lets you earn ‘reward stars’ for rides

More than a year ago, Starbucks formed a partnership with Lyft that enables the ridesharing giant to reward both drivers and riders. Starting next week, that deal has been expanded — with a focus on making the trip experience even better for passengers. As a result, you’ll be able to purchase Lyft gift cards at participating Starbucks across the U.S. while also earning “Reward Stars” for trips to Starbucks during the morning commute.

This also benefits both of the companies involved, of course. With the inclusion of gift cards, Lyft has opened an opportunity to sign up more riders. Now if you want to encourage someone to try the ride-hailing service or you think a friend may need a ride but can’t afford it, just stop by a Starbucks and purchase a $20 Lyft gift card. With each one you purchase, you’ll also receive a $5 Starbucks gift card as a bonus. This feature marks the first instance of tangible Lyft gift cards.

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In a bit of a quid pro quo, Starbucks wants to incentivize you to spend more time in its stores, so it’s going to start giving customers Reward Stars just for taking a Lyft to a nearby location during the morning commute. New users who sign up for Lyft and connect their Starbucks account will automatically receive 125 Stars, which is the equivalent of a free cup of coffee. Five stars will be provided toward free food and drinks on rides to Starbucks Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

The announcement of this expanded partnership comes a day after Lyft added support for multi-stop trips.

Starbucks chief digital officer Adam Brotman once described his company’s partnership with Lyft as “a great win-win. Our digital loyalty ecosystem can help strengthen Lyft’s ability to attract and retain customers, while at the same time accelerating the incrementality [sic] of redemption of rewards.” This latest update to the program will give both companies what they want: more traffic and more usage.