Starbucks to enter the NF-Tea game with new rewards scheme

Starbucks Rewards members in the US will be able to earn and purchase digital collectible assets later this year through its soon-to-launch NFT platform, Starbucks Odyssey.

The Seattle-based coffee giant has brewed up a Web3-powered platform which will allow customers and employees to use their collectible NFT’s to unlock new benefits and ‘immersive coffee experiences’.

Existing Starbucks members and partners (employees) will be able to access Starbuck Odyssey by logging in with their Starbucks Rewards credentials.

Once logged in, users can engage in Starbucks Odyssey ‘journeys’, a series of activities, such as playing interactive games or coffee-related challenges. Then, members will be rewarded for completing the journeys with collectible NFTs it has named ‘journey stamps’.

‘Limited-edition stamps’ are also a collection of NFTs Starbucks is launching that members can purchase through a marketplace in the Starbucks Odyssey web app. The NFTs can be bought with a simple credit card, rather than a cryptocurrency.

Starbucks members can also collect and trade their NFTs through the in-app marketplace, with ownership secured on a blockchain. Each NFT will have its own point-based value based on its rarity. As members collect more stamps, the more points they earn, which they can then use to access experiences such as virtual espresso martini-making classes, or even trips to Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia coffee farm in Costa Rica.

“By integrating into the Starbucks Rewards ecosystem and grounding the experience in coffee, connection and community, we are entering the Web3 space differently than any other brand, while deepening our members’ connection to Starbucks,” says Brady Brewer, Starbucks executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

“Our vision is to create a place where our digital community can come together over coffee, engage in immersive experiences, and celebrate the heritage and future of Starbucks.”

The waitlist for Starbucks Odyssey opens on September 12 and will launch later in the year.