Starbucks launches its Polygon-based loyalty program and NFT community to beta testers
Starbucks has unveiled Starbucks Odyssey, a blockchain-based loyalty program and NFT community, to its initial cohort of American beta testers. The new program expands Starbucks’ current loyalty program, Starbucks Rewards, and uses web3 technology, such as the polygon blockchain and NFTs.
Starbucks launches its web3 community and NFT initiative
According to a statement made to investors earlier this year, Starbucks Odyssey is a program that will allow the company’s most devoted patrons to earn more varied and comprehensive rewards than the benefits they may already receive, such as free drinks.
Now, Odyssey presents a new platform where users can participate in interactive tasks called “Journeys,” which, when finished, enable members to earn collectible Journey Stamps (Starbucks’ less-nerdy moniker for NFTs).
The Journeys’ main objectives are to promote awareness of the Starbucks name and educate consumers about coffee and the company’s past. A variety of activities could be included, such as viewing films, taking quizzes, solving puzzles, or even visiting a store to test out new beverages that the firm wants to sell.
Users will receive Stamps, a coffee-themed NFT based on the Polygon blockchain, at around 500 points. Additionally, these Stamps open up unique experiences. Three tiers of advantages and adventures will also be available for unlocking under this program. On the more affordable end, these could be online encounters, such as a virtual course that teaches you how to mix an espresso martini or gives you access to one-of-a-kind artisan goods.
A customer may then have access to real-world experiences as one accumulates more points and NFTs, such as exclusive events held at Starbucks Reserve Roasteries or even a visit to the Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia coffee farm in Costa Rica.
Throughout the year, the points are accumulated rather than redeemed for incentives (like Stars are). The facts were reset at year’s end, and you had to start over. However, one will continue to access their NFTs, which will eventually be integrated with the Starbucks app and allow users to personalize their Starbucks Cards or be printed on other items.
As the Odyssey program enters the beta testing phase, the first Journey Stamps will feature designs that draw inspiration from Starbucks, like the company’s first location in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. Other stamps will showcase iconic patterns and this year’s “Gift-Wrapped Magic” holiday cup art.
As this program is linked to the company’s broader loyalty scheme, participants must already have an active Starbucks Rewards account to participate in Starbucks Odyssey after accepting an invitation.
Starbucks Odyssey program brings NFTs to coffee lovers
NFTs, which have a point worth based on their rarity, are something that members who engage in Odyssey will earn. As a result, these NFTs will not only be connected to actual experiences but will also be able to be purchased or traded on Odyssey’s marketplace when it launches in 2023.
Beginning next year, the company will start selling Limited Edition Stamps that members can buy to help out various charities. The artwork is a collaboration between Starbucks and outside artists, and “a percentage” of the proceeds will be donated to causes that Starbucks customers and staff support. These Stamps will be issued four to six times a year (the firm wouldn’t disclose how much residual revenue it would keep at this time).
Starbucks has been considering its strategy to web3, while many corporate excursions into the NFT industry could be more robust and thought-out. December 8, a select number of people on the waitlist receive the first invitations. The Starbucks waitlist will start receiving monthly invitations in January 2023 from a more extensive range of people.
