TL;DR:
This guide explains how to send Starbucks gift cards in bulk using a scalable rewards platform instead of sending them manually. It covers email, SMS, scheduled sends, and API-based delivery, plus tracking, budget recovery, and automation via Zapier or API. The goal: reduce admin work, improve claim rates, and turn coffee rewards into measurable ROI.⭐
Updated Jan 30, 2026
If you need to send Starbucks gift cards in bulk to your employees, customers, clients, or research participants, be prepared for a headache if you try to do it manually.
While the Starbucks app is great for a one-off latte for a friend, businesses typically need a more scalable solution to handle high volumes of rewards.
In this guide, you'll learn how to streamline your rewards program using Giftbit to deliver bulk Starbucks gift cards instantly via email, text, or scheduled campaigns.
☕ Pro-'sip' (😉)
Everything we'll be covering about sending of Starbucks rewards easily applies to Dunkin' gift cards, too!
Whether your recipients "run on Dunkin'" or prefer the Starbucks experience, both work great for high-volume, low-denomination gifting.
> Learn more about Dunkin' gift cards specifically here.
If you’ve decided to use Starbucks for your corporate rewards, you have a few ways to get them into your recipients' hands.
How you decide to purchase and send them will ultimately depend on your volume, how much admin work you're able to do, and whether you need to track if those coffee shop gift cards are actually being claimed.
| Ordering Method | Delivery Options | Best For |
| Gift card platform (e.g., Giftbit) | Email (instant/scheduled), SMS, QR Code, DM, API | High volume, recurring rewards, & tracking ROI |
| Starbucks Corporate site | Physical or digital cards | Occasional business orders with no tracking needs |
| In-store purchase | Physical cards only | One-off, in-person recognition for small teams |
Of course, you can always swing by your local Starbucks and pick up physical gift cards at the counter. This is a classic "first step" for very small teams or for when you need immediate (and perhaps last minute) in-person recognition.
However, keep in mind that buying cards in-store means you’ll be stuck with manual distribution and zero tracking once the card leaves your hand.
And just make sure they don't get lost in the back of your drawer! 😬
You can also get Starbucks cards directly from their website or app. Starbucks offers a corporate gift card program for businesses, and you can use it to purchase both physical and digital cards.
This can be a reliable option for small, one-off sends or if you specifically want physical cards to hand out at an event.
That said, if you have plans for a large and/or long-term gift card incentive program, you'll want to check their FAQs to make sure there's no deal-breakers. For example, you'll only be able to schedule delivery 28 days in advance, there's a $15 cancellation fee for orders that are in the processing/fulfillment stage, and all sales are final, so if there are unused cards in your order, they'll be a sunk cost.
Translation: Direct ordering can be a great way to get started. But you might find the lack of flexibility will start to create a bottleneck if you're trying to focus on ROI and automation.
For most businesses, the easiest way to send Starbucks gift cards in bulk is through a professional rewards platform (like Giftbit).
Working with a reliable and tech-forward gift card distributor can eliminate manual overhead and help you automate the entire delivery and tracking process.
Instead of this… ❌
Get this instead ✅
All said, offloading the heavy lifting to a gift card company means you don't have to physically buy cards one-by-one or manage physical inventory.
Just upload your recipient list for an easy bulk order.
Most importantly, if a digital gift card goes unclaimed, some of that balance is returned to you.
Translation: instead of those sunk costs, you'll be able to recoup some of that money and funnel it back into your program.
Note: Giftbit even offers revenue sharing and bulk discounts for large programs; reach out to our Sales team to learn more.
☕ Pro-sip:
When comparing gift card companies, ask how they handle expiring vs. non-expiring rewards.
Non-expiring cards work best for 'goodwill' rewards, like employee rewards, where you want to provide real recognition and boost company culture, or payouts, where someone is legitimately 'owed' money. Obviously, once they’re sent and claimed, that budget is spent.
That’s why expiring rewards are especially useful for high-volume campaigns, promos, or experiments where you need more budget control.
Just note: some platforms sneak in extra fees just to enable expiration dates, which ends up eating into your actual reward budget. Be sure to ask about it in your 'disco' calls. 🪩
Email remains the most popular way to send bulk gift cards because it’s fast, professional, and provides a clear "paper trail" for your recipients.
Log in to your free Giftbit account, and here's how you can handle a bulk send:
Upload your recipients: Start by creating a simple CSV file with your recipients' contact information. You might sort them into categories—like "Q3 Survey Participants" or "North Regional Team"—to keep things organized.
Customize their experience: You want the reward to feel like it's coming from you, not a generic bot. So here's where you can add your company logo and write a personalized message. Even simple customization like a "Happy Anniversary" note or a "Thanks for the feedback" message will help ensure your brand stands out.
Choose Your Delivery: Once you select Starbucks from the catalog and set your denomination, Giftbit handles the heavy lifting. We’ll email the cards directly to your list, or if you prefer a more "hands-on" digital approach, you can download a CSV of gift links to distribute yourself (like we'll cover next, you can also use these links to branch out into other delivery methods, like QR codes or DM).
☕ Pro-sip:
Work with a gift card distributor and API like Giftbit, and you’ll have access to a global gift card catalog with 1000+ brands.
Offer your recipients stand-alone Starbucks gift cards or a curated list to other coffee-related brands.
For example, you might let your American audience pick between Dunkin', Dutch Bros Coffee, and Peet's Coffee, and other smaller 'treat' options like Baskin Robbins, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba Juice, and Smoothie King. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is also great for those who like to roast at home. ☕🍵🍩
Or, offer them access to the full global rewards catalog and let them pick whichever type of gift card or prepaid
card they prefer.
Inboxes get crowded. So if/when you want to ensure your reward is seen immediately, sending a Starbucks card via text might be the better way to go.
Generate shareable links: Like we covered above, instead of sending a direct email, Giftbit can generate unique "reward links." These are short, secure URLs that represent a specific gift card value.
Deliver via SMS: You can take these links and send them through your preferred SMS marketing tool or even a direct text message.
Automate with triggers: And don't worry—you don't need to send these links one-by-one. With a Zapier gift card integration, you can connect your Giftbit links directly to the tools you already use (think CRMs, forms, support platforms, or marketing workflows).
That means a Starbucks gift card link can be generated and sent automatically when a specific action happens, like a form submission, a closed deal, or a support ticket being resolved.
Once the trigger is set, the process runs on its own with no manual work required.
Why it works: Text messages often see much higher open rates and faster engagement than email. When a recipient gets a text saying “Coffee is on us today!” with a clickable link, the time between send and redemption is short. This in turn creates a very personal-feeling experience.
More than just SMS: While text is great for urgency, those same reward links can also be delivered through email, Slack, in-app messages, or customer support tools. You can choose the channel that fits the moment, without changing how rewards are generated or tracked behind the scenes.
Finally, product managers and developers are often looking for a seamless way to send digital Starbucks cards in bulk directly through their own ecosystem.
In these cases they'll want to use a well-structured gift card API to trigger rewards (including Starbucks cards) within their own app or platform.
Here's what that process looks like:
Integrate the API: Connect your platform to the Giftbit API to access the full catalog of rewards. This allows you to programmatically trigger a Starbucks gift card the moment a user hits a milestone—like finishing a training module or reaching a "Power User" status.
Deliver the reward in-app: Instead of sending the user away to their email inbox, you can display the reward link directly within your app’s interface. This keeps the user engaged with your product while they celebrate their "win."
Real-time fulfillment: The API should generate a Starbucks gift link instantly. Your user sees a "Claim Your Coffee" button, clicks it, and is ready to head to the drive-thru.
Automatic tracking: Even with in-app delivery, you still get the full suite of Giftbit reporting. You can track claim rates via the API to see which in-app triggers are driving the most engagement.
In-app delivery is a favorite for UX designers because it creates a "closed-loop" experience. The reward feels like a native feature of your product rather than a third-party afterthought.
Case (Study) In Point:
Research and consulting company Prime46 uses gift card incentives to encourage participation in surveys, interviews, and focus groups.
Initially, a project manager sent digital Amazon cards, by email and tracked everything in a spreadsheet.
The problem? Sending and tracking quickly became a headache. The manual work ate up hours each week—an expensive issue for a firm that bills clients hourly.
The solution? Prime46 integrated gift card sending directly into their survey software using a gift card API.
With just two days of developer time, they automated the process:
•Gift cards were purchased and delivered automatically
•Delivery, redemption, and invoice tracking lived in one dashboard
•No spreadsheets, lost codes, or follow-ups
The result: The program manager now saves an estimated 5–10 hours every week.
👉 See the case study now.
The best rewards programs are consistent, but what program admin wants to log in every time someone has a birthday or you want to send a digital employee anniversary gift? Scheduling allows you to maintain a "set it and forget it" workflow.
Plan for key dates: Build your entire campaign today but choose a delivery date weeks or months in the future. This is ideal for holiday gifting, planned marketing launches, or end-of-quarter recognition.
The "Moment of Surprise": By scheduling your send (for example, at 8:00 AM on a Monday morning), you ensure the reward lands exactly when it will have the most impact—perhaps right when your team is reaching for their first cup of the day.
Automate via integration: Like we've covered, for even more "hands-off" management, you can use the Giftbit API or a Zapier integration to trigger a Starbucks card automatically when a specific event happens in your CRM or HRIS (like a closed-won deal or a work anniversary).
☕ Pro-sip:
🌏 International audience?
The Giftbit rewards catalog features popular international coffee shops too, like Tim Hortons (here's looking at you, Canada 🍁) and Coffee Culture.
For example:
🇬🇧 Great Britain loves brands like Caffè Nero, Costa Coffee, and Greggs
🇮🇳 Indian audiences often go for Café Coffee Day and, increasingly, Costa Coffee.
🇵🇭 Philippines audiences enjoy Bo’s Coffee, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Black Canyon Coffee, or even Krispy Kreme. Meanwhile bubble tea fans might prefer Chatime or Gong Cha.
🇰🇷 South Korea’s popular choices include 스타벅스 (Starbucks), 이디야커피 (EDIYA COFFEE), 커피빈 (The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf), 던킨 (Dunkin'), and 커피나무 (Coffee Namu), a local coffee shop known for its coffee and desserts. 공차 (Gong Cha) is also popular for bubble tea.
🇹🇭 For Thailand, local roasters like Coffee Culture are a big hit.
🇨🇦 In Canada, Tim Hortons, Starbucks, and Davids Tea are among the most popular options.
When you send Starbucks gift cards in bulk, your job isn't over once you hit "send." You need to know if your investment is actually driving the behavior you’re paying for. A gift card program without reliable gift card tracking is ultimately going to become a "black hole" for your budget.
That's why many program admins choose to use a professional platform that provides meaningful ROI tracking, so they can turn those coffee gift cards into actionable business intelligence.
Specifically, good tracking offers the following benefits.
Perhaps the most important metric to track is your claim rate.
If you send 100 Starbucks cards to prospects and only 20 are claimed, you know your messaging or your timing needs work.
On the flip side, a 95% claim rate on employee anniversary cards is a clear indicator of high engagement and a "job well-done" for your HR team.
One of the biggest pitfalls of buying physical cards or using basic apps is "lost" money. Instead, you'll want to be able to track which digital cards go unredeemed (and resend any emails that haven't been delivered).
Unclaimed value: You need to know if a recipient never opens their email or clicks their link.
Undelivered emails: Inevitably, some emails just won't make it to their intended inboxes (here's looking at you, over-eager spam filters). Some platforms make delivery issues hard to see (and even harder to fix). Giftbit surfaces delivery failures clearly and lets you get alerts, correct issues, and resend rewards.
Money back: Depending on your account, you can actually recover a portion of the value from unclaimed rewards. This ensures your budget is only spent on people who are actually interacting with your brand.
Gone are the days of chasing down individual receipts from the local coffee shop.
Detailed reporting lets you see exactly who received what, when they received it, and the status of the reward.
And for many businesses, gift cards over a certain amount are considered taxable income. So clean, exportable CSV reports make year-end tax compliance for your finance team will make their lives a lot easier.
Tracking also lets you experiment and iterate. Try sending a Starbucks card via text for one campaign and via email for another. Compare the claim rates and the "time-to-claim." This data will give you insight into exactly how your specific audience likes to be rewarded, so you can optimize every dollar you spend in the future.
Finally, let's explore why businesses choose Starbucks rewards in the first place (bookmark this page for when you're ready to make your case to your manager 💪).
There’s a reason why coffee shop gift cards are the "easy win" of the rewards world.
Whether you’re looking to lift morale, motivate a specific behavior, or just say a quick thanks, a hot cup of coffee just hits different when it’s on someone else’s tab. 🥤
So when you send someone a Starbucks gift card, you aren’t just sending a a little money; you’re sending a ritual.
Coffee bridges geographic and generational gaps like few other rewards can.
Plus, most coffee shops are going to have an assortment of hot and cold bevvies, snacks, pastries, and other baked goods. So it’s a treat that every recipient can enjoy—even the non-coffee drinkers on your list.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of Starbucks rewards is their affordability.
Unlike a major retailer where a $5 gift card might feel like a drop in the bucket, a $5 coffee card is a complete experience. It is, quite literally, a "coffee on you."
These small-scale incentives, or micro-rewards, allow you to recognize your team or leads more frequently, even when you're on a more limited budget. They're also great for those small moments where a formal bonus might feel out of place, but a "thank you" still goes a long way.
So you might consider using coffee cards as "short and sweet" gestures to create an instant, positive connection with your brand. Whether it's a reward for attending a demo or a Friday afternoon surprise for your staff, it’s a simple way to show you care. 💌
Whether you’re sending a gift card to a potential client or thanking an employee for their hard work, you'll need to settle on an appropriate card balance to include.
☕ Pro-sip:
The value of any digital reward you send should match the effort you're rewarding.
An employee may feel disappointed if they only get a $5 gift card for landing an important client, while a lead may be caught off guard if you provide a $50 card just for responding to a simple survey.
For those smaller "thank you" moments, Starbucks (and other coffee cards) is the gold standard for high-impact, low-denomination gifting.
For example, if your budget allows $5 per client, sending $5 Best Buy, say, wouldn't make much sense. What're you gonna get for $5 at Best Buy? 🤔
But like Matt says, just $5 or $10 at Starbucks is really inviting someone to slow down and have a treat.
By moving away from manual, one-off sends and embracing a scalable platform, you can still ensure that every employee, client, and lead feels valued.
And you can do that without adding a single task to your already busy to-do list.
Ultimately, it’s one of the simplest ways to turn a small, budget-friendly gesture into a high-impact business strategy that grows with you.