How To Get Free Coffee from Starbucks, Costa, Caffè Nero & More

Here's how to get your early morning coffee for free.

If you can't go to a lecture without buying a coffee you're probably aware of how much it adds up. While it is cheaper to bring coffee from home, it just doesn't hit the same. Plus, there's nothing better than treating yourself here and there, even when you know you could be saving money.

Luckily, there are some simple and easy ways to help you get free or cheaper coffee thanks to the loyalty schemes the high street coffee shops run. We've rounded up the best deals and loyalty schemes from all of the big coffee shops so whichever one you find yourself visiting, you'll know how you can save some cash and get free coffee in return.

How to get free coffee

1. Free Starbucks coffee

The Starbucks loyalty scheme allows customers to collect points on the app which will unlock different membership tiers. Once you have the app you'll collect stars each time you make a purchase from Starbucks, you just need to remember to scan the app when you pay.

Every £1 you spend will = 10 stars, so if you're a regular, you'll easily rack up stars quickly. Once you earn 130 stars you can redeem a free filter coffee or tea, 300 will allow you to get free bakery items, 500 for handcrafted drinks and 1,000 for merchandise.

Once you've earned 2,500 stars you'll become a gold member which means you'll get a free drink on your birthday and free extra shots, syrup, and whipped cream so you'll save some money on each order.

2. Free Costa coffee

Costa's loyalty scheme allows you to collect beans every time you order. You'll need to download the app to start collecting and you get 1 bean every time you order. Once you collect 10 beans you'll get a free drink, so if you're a regular it should be pretty easy to get your free drink quickly.

Costa Club members also get a free cake on their birthday and if you bring a reusable cup to the store you'll get an extra bean. This means if you bring a reusable cup 5 times, you'll have earned your 10 beans and you'll get your free drink. The app will also have plenty of additional freebies and rewards throughout the year, so if you're a regular at Costa it's well worth getting.

3. Free Caffè Nero coffee

Caffè Nero's loyalty scheme is pretty similar to Costa and Starbucks. You can sign up and download the app and collect points per order. If you buy 9 drinks you'll get the 10th for free which is pretty decent if you're a regular. Just like Costa you'll get a bonus stamp on your loyalty card or point if you bring your reusable cup which means you can unlock your free drink faster.

Plus, if you refer a friend to the Caffè Nero app you'll get a free hot drink once they've made their first purchase.

Another way to save money at Caffè Nero is to get a Tastecard which will allow you to get 25% off drinks which is a great steal for students.

4. Free Greggs coffee

The easiest way to get a free coffee from Greggs is to download the app, as all app users will receive a free hot or cold drink as a reward just for downloading it.

Once you've started using the Greggs app there are plenty of ways for you to earn freebies. You can redeem free hot food and drinks and the app will track your purchases. You have to buy 9 of something in order to get the 10th for free. So if you buy 9 sausage rolls you'll get a sausage roll for free and if you buy 9 coffees, you'll get the 10th for free.

Another way to get cheap coffee from Greggs is if you're an O2 Priority member. You'll be able to get a free coffee from Greggs once per week via the O2 Priority app, but you'll have to be quick as the offer drops at 7am and the code is only valid for 25 minutes.

Plus, don't forget you can also get a student discount at Greggs with your Student Beans account!

5. Waitrose free coffee

One of the best free coffee deals for students is from Waitrose. Yes, Waitrose might not be your go-to supermarket on a budget, but if you have a local one it's worth stopping in just for the free coffee offer. All you have to do is bring a reusable coffee cup and scan your myWaitrose card (which you should get if you don't have one already) at a self-serve machine in-store. You can get one free drink a day and choose from either get a regular coffee or tea, so it's worth taking a detour on your way to your lectures if you have a Waitrose nearby.

If you're more of a pub goer than a coffee drinker, check out pubs where you can get a student discount and cheap drinks.

Coffee student discounts

Looking for more coffee deals? While you might not be able to score a free coffee every single day, there are definitely some other ways you can save money on coffee at home thanks to the coffee deals we have on Student Beans.

Some great deals to check out include:

• 15% student discount at Small Batch Coffee Roasters– an exclusive discount online so you can order blends straight to your front door

• 15% student discount at Flow Brew– Try the unique mushroom coffee powder for improved health and wellness benefits

• 15% student discount at Aura Coffee- Coffee beans and powder with enhanced vitamins and amino acids for busy students on the go

• Black Sheep Coffee student discount– save on coffee and iconic matcha blends

• Beanies student discount– save money on a range of different instant coffee flavors

• Tassimo student discount– treat yourself to a new coffee machine

• Bird & Blend student discount– Alright, this technically isn't a coffee deal but if you love to drink tea or matcha it's a great discount to check out

For more freebies, check out freebies you can get on your birthday and freebies all students can claim.