Changes are on the way for the Dunkin’ Rewards program, and faithful customers are none too happy about it. In an email to customers, the donut shop announced updates to its rewards system next month. They’ll need more points to score free stuff.
As Food & Wine reports, the “Dunkin’ Rewards Refresh” will see the points needed to redeem freebies increase by as much as 450 starting in October. Currently, the rewards system gives 10 points for each dollar spent in the Dunkin’ app, which can be redeemed for different menu items. Coffee and cold brew currently costs 500 points — the equivalent of $50 spent.
Starting next month, Redemptions are going up across the board. A regular coffee that costs 500 points will now run 600. Lattes and other specialty drinks tick up by 50 points. Bagels rise by 100, breakfast sandwiches from 800 to 900, and cold brew makes the biggest leap: from 500 to 950 points. If you’re doing the math, that’s a lot more cold brew to buy before you get a free one.
New categories and items will be added to the rewards system, such as bakery items, snacks and cold foam add-ons. The company also said there will be “personalized offers” based on users’ most-ordered items. “We’re always looking for ways to give our guests more variety and value through Dunkin’ Rewards,” a company spokesperson told Food & Wine.
“Members can now also redeem rewards for popular drinks such as the Shakin’ Espresso and Dunkalatte in our Specialty Coffee category. These updates focus on offering more choices, personalized offers, and maximizing value for our loyal members,” the spokesperson added.
But as Delish reports, it’s not all bitter news. Dunkin’ says it’s adding more ways to redeem (hello, cold foam add-on for 150 points), a new bakery tier at 400 points, snacks like à la carte bacon at 500, and “personalized offers” based on what you actually order. Members who hit Boosted Status (12 visits a month) still earn faster with extra points per dollar, so the climb to a freebie is shorter—just not as short as it used to be.
But it’s the fine print that has really rubbed customers the wrong way: points will now expire 12 months after you earn them, period. And once you convert points into a reward, you’ve got 30 days to use it before it disappears. Previously, active users didn’t watch their balances age out on a timer.
As you can imagine, fans aren’t exactly clinking iced cups over the news: “Dunkin’ rewards devaluation incoming,” one post reads. Another calls the switch “just ridiculous,” and yes—there were all-caps swearing versions, too.
Meanwhile, as The New York Post‘s Page Six reports, the “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” star Jen Affleck has taken her viral storyline about possibly being related to DunKing Ben Affleck to the next level in a new Dunkin’ commercial, as she declares herself the “Value Affleck” as the actor pulls up in the drive-through.
Dunkin’s fall menu arrived in stores nationwide in August, complete with pumpkin spice favorites, an expansion of Sabrina Carpenter’s Daydream Refresher lineup and the return of the $6 Meal Deal. There’s also a brand-new brew: the Cereal N’ Milk Latte. It is billed as a sweet sip of nostalgia, combining espresso with cereal milk for a marshmallow-cereal flavor. It comes on the heels of the success of the fan-favorite Dunkalatte.
And to further honor the changing seasons, Dunkin’ has festive fall foods for customers to enjoy. The new Kreme Delight Donut, Chipotle Loaded Hash Browns and Maple Sugar Bacon will be joining seasonal favorites like the Chipotle Hash Brown Wake-Up Wrap, Ham & Swiss Croissant Stuffer and Braided Apple Pie.
But back to the Rewards Refresh. Will the new perks balance the higher costs? Dunkin’ says the change adds “variety and value.” Judging by the comments, many of their caffeinated loyalists would prefer the old math.
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