Customers May Ice Out Starbucks If They Charge for Light Ice

The corners of the Internet that are obsessed with Starbucks beverages are in an uproar over recent rumors about the company charging for light ice. Several people, including baristas, have taken to TikTok and other social media platforms claiming that Starbucks will soon charge extra for light ice or no ice. So, are the rumors true? What does Starbucks have to say about this?

Starbucks has certainly annoyed a number of loyal customers in recent months and years. They've changed prices (to be expected especially when inflation hits) and changed the Starbucks loyalty rewards program to be less beneficial to members. Could some customers who prefer different amounts of ice in Refreshers beverages be turned off to the brand?

In a TikTok video by @itznickaliagibbs, a woman is writing on a Starbucks cup. The caption reads: "POV: It's May 9th and you tell the Starbucks customer that it is $1 extra because they asked for light ice or no ice in their refresher." Playing over the 5-second clip is an expletive-ridden phrase indicating hatred (presumably for the barista, by the customer).

According to the video, May 9 is the date when Starbucks will begin charging that extra dollar on Refreshers or other beverages with ice, whenever customers want to change the amount of ice. That tracks with other rumors found online. Totallythebomb.com posted a photo of a sign in a Starbucks claiming May 9 is when the chain will begin charging more at all locations for this order change.

The TikTok had over 641,000 views as of April 27, 2023. More than 12,000 people had also left comments sharing their opinions on the potential change.

The Daily Mail has also reported on the rumored price increase. Another TikTok creator Rayah has a clip viewed more than 1.3 million times that makes the same claims about the dollar upcharge. It's said to apply to no ice, light ice, and no water requests on Refreshers, but people haven't mentioned whether it also applies for iced coffee beverages.

Naturally, with so many online creators saying the same thing about Starbucks adding a dollar on to Refreshers prices for any alterations to the water or ice ratios, it might seem true. However, what does Starbucks say about this?

The online publication Eat This, Not That! posted an article on the rumored $1 price bump on April 26. It noted that "the company is receiving a brand-new wave of preemptive backlash as rumors swirl that it will soon start charging for some common drink customizations." The article points out that customers might prefer more of the flavorful Refresher base, and that's why they request less ice.

It's not unusual for Starbucks to charge an extra $1 or less for additions like extra pumps of syrup, but what about when the customer actually wants less of something? Some TikTok commenters recognized that light ice or no ice changes the ratio for the drink recipe and essentially gives the customer more of the actual beverage, which could justify a price hike.

The good news is that the editors added a note on Eat This, Not That! that was reportedly sent by a Starbucks representative to clear the air: "Starbucks is not making any changes to their ice policy. We don't have anything to share regarding changes to Refreshers beverages." So based on that information, it would seem these TikTok videos aren't fully accurate.

Some commenters on @itznickaliagibbs's video felt Starbucks was being greedy. "That is RIDICULOUS Starbucks is so greedy it's 6 dollars for a drink already," posted one person. Another said, "and yet the workers won't be paid more for all this extra money the company gonna make."

One claimed she's not trying to get more for her money: "I literally don’t want more refresher when I say light ice!!!! I’m just a slow drinker and the melting waters it down too much!!" Some other commenters mentioned that they would switch to a different coffee chain if the rumors are true.