The other day I stopped by the local Dunkin’ Donuts for a hot latte – merely for convenience. It was about a dollar less than at Starbucks, my Brand of choice, for a comparable drink. While waiting for the latte, I saw a small advertisement atop the gift card rounder. The ad touted something called “DDPerks Rewards.” Not knowing what it was, I read further and, enticed by the claim of “unlimited rewards,” I promptly visited the website on my smartphone.
Starbucks gives me any drink, any size, for free after the purchase of 10 beverages with a registered Starbucks card. They automatically send a card redeemable for the free drink. I wondered what Dunkin’ Donuts offered. On a phone, it was a bit hard to see what the rewards were on the DDPerks Rewards site, but by enlarging the text I discovered that Dunkin’ Donuts would give me $1 in Dunkin’ Donuts dollars for each $20 spent in a calendar month with a registered DD gift card. They’d also give me $2 additional Dunkin’ Donuts dollars for each $20 spent in a calendar month if I used the Auto-Recharge feature on their website to add to my gift card balance once within the calendar month.
Immediately I created a DD Perks Rewards account, but I didn’t happen to have a DD gift card. On my next visit to Dunkin’ Donuts, I purchased a gift card. At home, I once again visited the DDPerks Rewards site and registered my card. I have since used the card a couple of times, and look forward to receiving my Dunkin’ Dollar coupons in the mail at the end of the month.
Like Starbucks, DDPerks Rewards gives you a free beverage on your birthday, but unlike Starbucks, DDPerks does not give you a free coffee for every pound of coffee purchased. But I don’t buy my coffee this way, so it’s a feature I don’t need.
Is this new loyalty program going to make me forgo my daily iced espresso at Starbucks? No, but at $1 less than Starbucks, Dunkin’ has found a new consumer in me for my daily hot latte. Luckily, both stores are within a stone’s throw of one another, or that $1 saved would be burned in gas. The question of my loyalty is still up for grabs, but in the meantime I will enjoy the perks.
Monica C Smith
Chief Marketsmith
Marketsmith
