Free Refills Are Back At Starbucks — With One Condition

The first major change? Free refills. Yep – Starbucks is offering free refills to customers who order their drinks “for here.” Customers can order any beverage in a ceramic mug, glass or clean personal cup, and they can receive free refills of brewed coffee (hot or iced) and brewed tea (hot or iced) in the same visit.

All “for here” orders will be handed off in a Starbucks ceramic mug or glass, or a clean personal cup if you choose to bring one along. Your first "for here" beverage can be any drink, though the free refill offer only includes brewed coffee (hot or iced) and brewed tea (hot or iced).

Note that cold brew, nitro cold brew, any Iced Tea Lemonade, flavored iced teas, and Starbucks Refreshers are not available as refills.

Secondly, the condiment bar is finally back at participating Starbucks stores! This means you can customize your own drink on your own terms with an array of creamers, milks, and sweeteners.

The Starbucks condiment bar essentially disappeared during COVID out of safety concerns, so this year will mark the first time it’s back in cafes in just about 5 years! As someone who almost always craves a sweeter drink, this news is so nice since it will streamline my coffee runs.

These two new changes (“coffeehouse amenities” as Starbucks calls them) are likely Starbucks' latest move in their ‘back to Starbucks’ initiative. New CEO Brian Niccol first surfaced the idea in an open letter to Starbucks partners, customers and stakeholders in September 2024, stating that he’d be “refocusing on what has always set Starbucks apart.” He noted that one of the first steps would be investing in technology that improves the customer experience.