Collect 10 Beans with Costa Club and get a free coffee… simple!
If you’re a regular Costa customer and you’re not collecting Beans, then you’re missing out on free drinks! Keep reading to find out how the Costa Club scheme works and whether it’s actually worth scanning the app every time you order.
What is Costa Club?
Costa Club is Costa Coffee’s free loyalty scheme that rewards members with virtual stamps called Beans.
Rather than earning points based on how much you spend, you’ll earn Beans when you buy eligible drinks. Collect enough Beans and you’ll unlock a free handcrafted drink.
The scheme is completely free to join and is available through the Costa app.
How can I join?
Joining Costa Club is quick and easy.
Simply download the Costa Coffee app, create an account and you’ll automatically become a Costa Club member.
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive a QR code within the app which can be scanned whenever you buy a drink.
You’ll even receive a Bean just for registering. Sign up with this referral link to get 5 bonus Beans when you buy your first coffee and scan your QR code.
How do I earn Beans?
The earning system is refreshingly simple. You’ll earn 1 Bean for every eligible handcrafted drink you buy in a Costa store. You’ll also earn Beans when buying drinks from Costa Express machines.
Unlike the Pret Perks scheme, Beans are awarded per drink rather than per transaction. This means if you buy three coffees in one order, you’ll receive three Beans rather than just one.
There’s also a nice bonus for environmentally conscious customers. If you bring your own reusable cup when purchasing a handcrafted drink, you’ll earn an extra Bean. In other words, you’ll earn 2 Beans instead of 1. That’s a free coffee after 5 drinks rather than 10.
How many Beans do I need for a free drink?
Currently, 10 Beans will automatically convert into a free drink reward.
The reward can be redeemed against any handcrafted drink in store, making it one of the more flexible coffee shop loyalty schemes available.
You don’t have to worry about manually claiming your reward either. Once you’ve reached 10 Beans, the free drink voucher is automatically added to your account.
How much is a Bean worth?
Let’s do some coffee maths.
Assuming an average Costa drink costs around £4.50 and you need to buy 10 drinks to earn a free one. That’s £45 spent to earn a £4.50 reward.
This effectively gives you a cashback rate of around 10%.
That’s actually pretty generous compared to many loyalty schemes, particularly because the reward is a full drink rather than a discount voucher.
Plus if you’re using a reusable cup every time, things get even better. Since you’ll earn 2 Beans per visit, you’ll only need to buy 5 drinks to unlock a free drink reward. In this scenario, spending roughly £22.50 to earn a £4.50 reward works out to an effective reward rate of around 20%. Not bad for simply remembering to bring your cup.
New Costa Club members can get 5 bonus Beans on their first purchase if they join using this referral link. That means you would only need 4 more drinks (or 2 with a reusable cup) to get your freebie.
What are Costa Club Swaps?
Costa recently introduced a feature called Swaps.
Instead of saving all your Beans towards a free drink, you can exchange 2 Beans for drink extras such as:
- An extra espresso shot
- A syrup flavour
- Whipped cream
- A dairy alternative milk option
This gives members a bit more flexibility and means you don’t always need to wait until you’ve collected 10 Beans before receiving a reward.
Personally, I’d still rather save towards a free drink, but if you’re someone who regularly pays for customisations then Swaps can offer decent value.
Any extra benefits?
Yes.
Costa Club includes a few additional perks beyond the free drink rewards.
Members can receive personalised offers, bonus Bean promotions and Treat Drops through the app. Costa also offers a free birthday treat to members who have added their date of birth and opted into marketing communications. Currently this is a slice of cake, yum!
The exact offers vary from person to person, but they can occasionally provide some nice extra value.
Do Beans expire?
Yes, eventually.
If you don’t earn or redeem any Beans for 12 months, your Bean balance will expire.
Once you’ve earned a free drink reward, you’ll generally have 3 months to use it before it expires.
For most regular Costa customers this shouldn’t be an issue.
Any tier benefits?
No.
Costa Club doesn’t currently have any status levels or premium tiers. Everyone earns Beans at the same rate and receives the same rewards. The only way to earn rewards faster is to buy more drinks or use a reusable cup.
Costa Club vs Pret Perks
Costa Club and Pret Perks are surprisingly similar these days. Both are free to join and both operate using a digital stamp card style system. The key difference is how rewards are earned.
| Feature | Costa Club | Pret Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free |
| Reward currency | Beans | Stars |
| Earn rate | Per drink | Per transaction above £1.99 |
| Free reward | Free handcrafted drink | Usually bakery treats |
| Reusable cup bonus | Yes | No |
| Reward flexibility | High | Limited |
For most coffee drinkers, I’d actually give Costa Club the edge.
The rewards are clearer, easier to understand and generally more valuable. A free handcrafted drink is usually worth more than the bakery rewards offered through Pret Perks.
Plus, earning Beans per drink rather than per transaction means buying multiple drinks at once can accelerate your progress.
Is Costa Club worth it?
If you’re already buying coffee at Costa, then yes, Costa Club is absolutely worth joining.
The scheme is free, easy to use and offers one of the better coffee shop loyalty programmes currently available.
The rewards are straightforward, the free drinks have decent value and the reusable cup bonus makes collecting rewards surprisingly quick.
Unlike some loyalty schemes where the rewards feel miles away, earning a free drink after 10 Beans feels achievable. And if you’re bringing a reusable cup, that free drink can arrive after just 5 visits.
For a free loyalty scheme, it’s hard to complain about that.
FAQs
Let’s answer a few frequently asked questions about Costa Club…
How many Beans do I need for a free drink?
You need 10 Beans to unlock a free handcrafted drink reward.
Do I earn Beans on food purchases?
No. Beans are earned on eligible drinks rather than food items.
Can I earn Beans at Costa Express machines?
Yes. Beans can be collected from Costa Express machines through the app.
Do Beans expire?
Yes. If your account is inactive for 12 months, unused Beans can expire.
What are Costa Club Swaps?
Swaps allow you to exchange 2 Beans for drink extras such as syrups, dairy alternatives or extra coffee shots.
Is Costa Club worth it?
Absolutely. If you’re already buying Costa drinks, there’s very little reason not to collect Beans and enjoy the occasional free coffee.
Find out more about Costa Club and join through the Costa Coffee app.