PRET a Manger is giving customers free coffee for a month when they sign up to its new subscription service.
Under the YourPret Barista service, which was revealed today, customers can get up to five drinks per day for a £20 monthly subscription – as long as coffees are purchased half an hour apart.
But Pret is running a promotional offer where you get the first month completely free.
Just keep in mind you'll automatically be charged the £20 fee each month after this unless you cancel before the first month is up.
The new offering from Pret, which goes live on the Pret website on Tuesday September 8, comes after the coffee chain announced it was slashing 2,800 roles as part of a restructure.
At the time, the company said trade across its shops was still around 60% down year-on-year.
Pret’s new YourPret Barista – how does it work?
PRET is launching a new subscription service, called YourPret Barista. Here’s how it works:
- YourPret launches next week, on Tuesday, September 8.
- The subscription service costs £20 a month, but you can get the first month free.
- Customers can cancel at any time, without charge.
- Customers can get five drinks a day, including all barista-made coffees, as well as teas, hot chocolates, smoothies and frappe drinks.
- The drinks must be purchased half an hour apart, in order to stop people buying free drinks for friends and family.
- The majority of Pret stores are taking part – in fact, according to its website, only the Pret in Souths Mimms Services station isn't participating.
But Pret hopes its subscription service will entice customers back into stores again following the coronavirus lockdown.
This is the first subscription of its kind from a coffee chain, although most other rivals – including Costa Coffee and Starbucks – have their own loyalty schemes where you earn points and use these to redeem free drinks.
The Sun this week ranked the best and worst coffee loyalty schemes after Starbucks announced it had revamped its scheme – you can also see more information in the box below.
How does the subscription service work?
YourPret Barista can be used for all barista-made coffees, as well as teas, hot chocolates, smoothies and frappe drinks.
Pret only offers one size for its drinks.
The subscription only covers in-store purchases too, so you won't be able to use it for delivery orders.
Pret says the subscription means customers can potentially get up to 150 drinks a month during a 30-day period. For a 31-day month, you could bag as many as 155 drinks.
The subscription is worthwhile if you're a regular Pret customer – as if you purchased just one flat white for £2.50 every weekday over a month, you'd usually be spending £50.
This means you'd save £30 over 20 weekdays – but as you can get up to five drinks a day, the savings could amount to more than this.
Of course, if you're looking to save money by ditching takeout coffees, this subscription may not be one for you.
If you sign up for Pret's new subscription you can cancel without charge at any time, including during the first month.
Customers can cancel by going into the "manage account" section of the YourPret Barista website.
If you decide to cancel your subscription, you'll continue to have access to YourPret Barista until the end of your current monthly period.
Coffee chain loyalty schemes
MOST major coffee chains run their own loyalty scheme – but how do they compare? We explain.
Caffè Nero: Caffe Nero customers can collect stamps for every drink they buy.
After you purchase nine drinks, the tenth drink is free.
Costa Coffee: Costa Coffee's loyalty card scheme works by giving you points for every purchase you make.
For every £1 you spend, you get five points back. Each point is worth 1p.
Pret a Manger: Pret offers customers a free coffee after they purchase eight through its free app.
The Sun has asked if the coffee chain will still be running this deal once its subscription service starts.
Starbucks: Starbucks rewards members get three "stars" for every £1 they spend on food, coffee, at home products and merchandise in participating stores.
According to the chain, members with 150 Stars can redeem a free barista-prepared drink of their choice.
You can see the terms and conditions on the Pret website, including any stores that aren't participating.
Pano Christou, chief executive officer of Pret, said: "Our new subscription service is perfect for customers who have been craving one of our barista-prepared drinks.
"Whether you're a coffee enthusiast or tea devotee, we hope this new service helps you start your day strong.
"This is just the first step in our plan to bring Pret to more people."
Costa has also revealed it plans on axing 1,650 jobs due to coronavirus.
Plus, there was confusion for some Starbucks customers after some of its stores decided not to offer Eat Out to Help Out.
Starbucks and Costa Coffee have just revealed their new summer menus with iced teas and honeycomb lattes.
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