Starbucks Launches NFT Loyalty Program on Polygon to Embedded Customers of Web3

Quick take:

• Starbucks has launched an NFT loyalty program on Polygon.
• The global restaurant chain wants to use “Starbucks Odyssey” to bring its customers to web3.
• The program will allow customers to both earn and purchase digital assets that unlock exclusive experiences and rewards.

Starbucks has officially made its first foray into web3 with “Starbucks Odyssey,” a polygon-based NFT loyalty program designed to onboard Starbucks customers to the next iteration of the Internet.

Starbucks has leveraged the Layer 2 Ethereum scaling blockchain ecosystem to create an NFT-based replica of the successful Starbucks Rewards loyalty program.

According to the announcement, Starbucks Odyssey allows Starbucks customers to both earn and purchase digital assets that unlock exclusive experiences and rewards.

In the Starbucks Rewards exchange program, customers earn “stars”, which can be exchanged for free drinks and other benefits.

The new web3-powered program will “allow Starbucks Rewards loyalty program members and Starbucks partners (employees) in the US to earn and purchase digital collectible stamps in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs),” Polygon wrote in a blog announcing the partnership.

Starbucks sees the “Starbucks Odyssey” as a huge opportunity to engage with its Starbucks Rewards customers in exciting ways. Holders of Starbucks Odyssey NFTs will have the opportunity to unlock unique coffee experiences from various collaborations with leading artists and invitations to exclusive events.

On September 12, Starbucks launched a waiting list that gives customers an opportunity to be among the first to receive the Starbucks Odyssey experience, scheduled to launch later this year.

“Building Starbucks Odyssey using technology that aligns with our sustainability ambitions and commitments is a top priority. We took a very thoughtful and thorough approach when evaluating which blockchain to use, and Polygon’s fast, affordable and carbon-neutral network is the perfect foundation for our first digital community,” said Ryan Butz, VP of Loyalty, Strategy and Marketing for Starbucks.

Starbucks’ announcement of the new NFT-based loyalty program comes barely four months after it revealed a plan to launch NFTs by the end of the year. The company revealed via a blog post in May that it was considering building its own digital community.

The company has chosen the PoS blockchain network Polygon to drive its web3 strategy. This has been done in part because Starbucks envisions long-term success in web3.

Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon, commented: “Polygon is a natural choice for Starbucks as both companies place enormous emphasis on diversity, accessibility and sustainability. As a leading infrastructure provider that enables people and technology to collaborate and exchange value globally and freely , gives Polygon the ideal launching pad for Starbucks’ entry into Web3.”

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