Starbucks announced on Thursday that it is broadening how U.S. customers can tip baristas and instituting performance-based bonuses tied to store-level metrics.
Under the expanded tipping program, customers who place mobile orders and pay with credit or debit cards will be able to leave tips. Currently, tipping is constrained to in-store and drive-through transactions using cash or credit cards, as well as mobile payments made with Starbucks cards. The new option extends tipping to credit card payments for mobile orders and to payments made by scanning at the register.
Separately, the company will offer bonuses to baristas at stores that meet internal performance goals. The targets cited by the company include measures for sales, operations and customer satisfaction. Store baristas and shift supervisors who reach the highest level in the company’s internal ratings for their location are eligible for a $300 quarterly bonus, equal to $1,200 annually.
The bonus framework ties additional compensation directly to store-level performance measures rather than being automatically applied across the workforce. That structure links potential variable pay to a combination of commercial and operational metrics, as well as customer experience indicators.
Summary of the program:
- Expanded tipping: enables credit and debit card tips on mobile orders and register scans in the U.S.
- Performance bonuses: $300 per quarter for store staff and shift supervisors who achieve top internal ratings, up to $1,200 per year.
- Performance criteria: sales, operations and customer satisfaction metrics determine eligibility.
The announcement focuses on changes to employee compensation mechanisms and payment options at the point of sale. The company identified specific payment flows that previously limited tipping and described the expanded channels that will be added.
The release did not provide additional operational details such as the precise rollout schedule or the full methodology used to evaluate stores against the stated goals.