Starbucks and AT&T began offering two free hours of Wi-Fi access yesterday to customers who sign up for a Starbucks Reward Card on the company’s Website and buy a minimum $5 card. In order to keep up free Wi-Fi benefits, members must use the card at least once a month. New users were also offered a voucher for a free drink.
The offer is part of Starbucks switch to AT&T as its Wi-Fi provider. Earlier this year, the coffee company began phasing out service from T-Mobile USA. AT&T is also offering free Wi-Fi access to its broadband and wireless data users, with no time limit attached, at all of its 17,000 hot spots around the country.
The free Wi-Fi with a Starbucks Rewards card began yesterday, but according to reports, some customers were having trouble logging on. Customers trying to sign up through Starbucks’ Website were greeted with a message about the site experiencing difficulty and were told to try again later.
A Starbucks spokesperson reportedly said that the site was initially “overwhelmed” with customers signing up for rewards cards, but that the issue had been fixed by late afternoon.