*$ is now with AT&T and you get free wireless 2 hours per day by using the Starbucks Card once every 30 days. T mobile is getting phased out finally.

There are other perks listed in another post, but the free wireless part is NEW.

http://www.starbucks.com/retail/wireless.asp

Some key FAQ:

What is the offer?
As a way to thank our loyal customers, Starbucks is offering a reward for registering and using your Starbucks Card – complimentary access to AT&T Wi-Fi for up to two hours per day in any U.S. Starbucks store that offers Wi-Fi.

What do I need to get online?
To get your AT&T Wi-Fi account, you simply need a Starbucks Card that you have used in the last 30 days, and agree to receive up to four emails per year from AT&T. As long as you continue to use your card at least once a month (make a purchase or load a balance) you’ll continue to enjoy up to 2 hours per day of complimentary Wi-Fi access in any U.S. Starbucks store which offers Wi-Fi.

Do I need to use my Starbucks Card each time I get online?
No. As long as you’ve used your card in the last 30 days (make a purchase or load a balance), the AT&T username and password you will create as part of the special registration process is all you’ll need each time you visit a Starbucks and want to access Wi-Fi.

Do I need to sign up every time?
You only need to sign up one time, either at home or in the store. Once you’ve registered your card(s) and created your AT&T account, you just log in and you’re online.

Why is this limited to two hours?
In order to make our stores welcoming places for all our customers, the complimentary benefit is limited to two hours. For customers who would like unlimited access, AT&T has a [paid plan] that will work for them.

Can I use my two hours of Wi-Fi at different times of the day?
Currently, you are limited to one session of up to two hours. We’re working on making this available across multiple sessions per day – stay tuned for updates.

Why AT&T Wi-Fi? Why do I need an AT&T account?
In order to provide you the easiest way to get online at any one of our participating U.S. stores, an AT&T Wi-Fi account is the simplest and best way to connect. After you’ve signed up, you’ll have a username and password you can use to log in at any Wi-Fi enabled Starbucks.

2 hours? anyone know if Panera bread, Krystal's have limits on wifi use? I'd much rather buy a meal for $5 than a single drink for $5

If I remember correctly, Panera does offer free Wi-Fi.

My Nugget grocery store offers free Wifi and has better food than Panera. If I need a coffee fix, Pete's makes much better coffee.

"*$" - heh, that's a good one.
Another benefit of registering your card is that drip coffee refills are free.

Never understood how Starbucks has remained in business with it's ultra expensive products and services when you have cheaper (and better) coffee as well as FREE WIFI in other places.

I think its insulting that one would pay $6 bucks for a beverage and they can't provide complimentary WIFI what with cost of equipment and access getting cheaper and cheaper????

Just my 2 cents.....thank you.

cstu11 said:htyped said:Drip coffee is less than $2 a cup so if you get a *$ card and load it up with $24, you get 365*2(hours) worth of free internet for the whole year. Heck, if you get two cards/accounts, you can get an additional 2 hours a day free. It's perfect for students who camp out there for hours.
Where can I find one of these Asterisk Dollar stores?
Actually, *$ is the explanation of the fine print - "be prepared to spend on overpriced food and coffee"

Good post. You've got to use your Starbucks card at least once a month to remain acitive in the program. I registered an old card that I got free for some online survey years ago. Hadn't used it in a long time and it went through fine, so the stated requirement that you need to have purchased or filled it within the past 30 days doesn't seem to matter. It may come in handy when I'm traveling, as a previous posted said. I may charge a penny on my card when I go in and by a cup of joe just to keep it active.

If you have DSL service thru AT&T, unlimited access to AT&T wi-fi at Starbucks is included at no additional cost as part of your service. http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=11375

AT&T Wi-Fi Basic service is FREE and already included if you subscribe to AT&T High Speed Internet, AT&T U-verseSM or AT&T FastAccess® DSL with a speed of 1.5 Mbps or higher. No ordering required! Simply use your AT&T high-speed Internet membership ID and password at any AT&T Wi-Fi Basic hot spot.

This has been going on for the major part of a month already; the service is still a little unstable (roaming agreements between T-Mobile and AT&T = :x ) but every partner who works there gets unlimited;

Other benefits of registering a card online ( some mentioned already ) are;

A free beverage coupon mailed to your address
Free drip refills
Milk Modifiers are free (Soy, Breve) in addition to things like the new Energy powder.
2 hours of free wifi a day provided you use the card once a month

The POS systems can now verify whether or not the card is registered, as opposed to earlier when anyone despite being registered was receiving the benefit. It'll even show on your receipt how much you saved.

I'm not saying the program is a saving grace against people who complain that the drinks are too expensive, but I mean, you save $146.00 a year if you buy a Soy based beverage once a day; it may sound extreme, but it's a very realistic example. Knock on the company for their "overpriced" and "burnt" beverages, but they're not forcing anyone to buy their product. Customers get treated there the way they should across all realms of customer service; the company actually listens when they complain.

Example: Pikes Place Roast, the new coffee, is served all day instead of the usual Coffee of the Week. A lot of customers complained it wasn't strong enough, or that it just sucked, and what did Starbucks do? Well, now we'll be serving the Coffee of the Week all day again, instead of stopping the brew after 12PM.