If you were planning to seek refuge from the heat this summer with Starbucks’ line of Refreshers beverages, you may find yourself paying more than usual. The chain has officially confirmed that it is now charging extra for the “no water” customization on these fruity, Instagram-worthy beverages, which come in flavors ranging from Strawberry Açaí to Mango Dragonfruit.
“Starting May 9 there will be an additional cost of $1 for Starbucks Refreshers Beverages customized with no water, as this customization requires extra ingredients,” a Starbucks spokesperson said in a statement. “This change allows us to provide a more consistent approach to customization, similar to other beverage customizations such as adding an espresso shot or syrup which incur an additional charge. Starbucks Refreshers Beverages can still be customized with light or no ice free of charge.”
A classic Refresher mixes a flavored drink base with water. The no-water customization provides customers with more of that Refresher base for a more concentrated flavor. Before, customers did not have to pay extra for the customization.
Rumors began swirling late last month that the coffee chain would not only start charging for the no-water customization, but also for Refreshers with the light ice or no ice. Though Starbucks didn’t confirm the extra no-water charge until now, the company did deny the rumors that customers would be charged extra for light ice and no ice.
That extra dollar Starbucks will make for every Refresher with no water will likely add up in a big way for the coffee chain. The company has previously credited drink “modifiers” like extra pumps of syrup and sauces for bringing in an extra $1 billion annually.
But while Starbucks stands to benefit greatly from the upcharge, many customers have been outraged to hear that they’ll be footing the bill for the formerly free customization.
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“Like it isn’t expensive enough as is,” a user commented under an April TikTok video discussing the upcharge rumors, which had not been confirmed at the time.
“Well, I’m going to cut down buying Starbucks drinks,” another customer commented on the same video.
Others said they understand why the company would want to charge extra for a beverage customization that requires the chain to provide extra product.
The no-water upcharge isn’t the only recent change to the Starbucks menu. Starbucks also faced backlash in March after confirming that it was discontinuing the popular raspberry syrup. In more positive news, the chain just launched a new Chocolate Java Mint Frappuccino and White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew for summer.
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Zoe Strozewski
Zoe Strozewski is a News Writer for Eat This, Not That! A Chicago native who now lives in New Jersey, she graduated from Kean University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Read more about Zoe
