Introduction:During the National Day holiday, Starbucks launched a limited-time stamp-collecting campaign in multiple cities, attracting numerous collectors to participate. However, in practice, the interpretation of the event rules varied significantly between locations, with frequent changes to the requirements — from free stamp collection to varying consumption thresholds — leaving customers confused. This article provides a detailed breakdown of the two main activities and compiles common issues and precautions encountered by participants, helping you avoid pitfalls and successfully collect your stamps.
During the extended National Day holiday, Starbucks held a limited-time stamp-collecting event in cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, quickly drawing the attention of stamp enthusiasts. However, as the event progressed, many consumers reported significant discrepancies in how the rules were enforced across different stores — even the policies within the same store could change from morning to afternoon — causing considerable frustration among participants.
It is understood that Starbucks is currently running two stamp-collecting events. One is a collaborative initiative covering seven southern cities: Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Jiangmen, Guilin, and Sanya. Customers can get free stamps at designated stores, and if they make a single purchase of approximately NT$300 (about RMB 68), they can also receive a postcard with a city-exclusive stamp.
The other is an exclusive event for the Beijing area. Customers can get stamps by making any purchase at designated stores within Beijing. If the actual payment amount reaches approximately NT$400 (about RMB 88), they can also receive a special foldable stamp album for collecting 15 exclusive stamps related to famous Beijing landmarks.
The stamps offered in both events feature the currently popular multicolor layered design, where different colored imprints must be stacked to reveal the complete, intricate pattern. For stamp collectors, these designs are not just souvenirs but unique records of their “I was here” travel moments. Many even plan specific routes, traveling between different stores just to collect the full set.
Participants in the Beijing area generally call stores in advance to confirm the stamp designs and then plan the most efficient collection routes, aiming to gather all 15 limited-edition designs in a short time. Meanwhile, stamp enthusiasts in the southern regions, finding it difficult to travel between multiple cities in a short period, often choose to exchange postcards with fellow collectors in other cities to complete their missing stamps.
However, many netizens who followed stamp-collecting guides found on social media were surprised to discover that the actual situation at the stores was vastly different from what was described in the guides. Some store staff required “purchase before stamping,” and some even explicitly stated that non-paying customers could not participate in the event — contrary to the “free stamp collection” information circulating online.
Additionally, the interpretation of the event rules varied greatly between locations. Some stores allowed free stamp collection in the morning but suddenly changed the policy in the afternoon, requiring a purchase to participate, leaving customers caught off guard. This kind of “rules changing by the hour” situation left many participants confused, with some exclaiming, “I really don’t understand what the requirements are.”
Many users believe that Starbucks, as the organizer of the event, failed to establish and clearly communicate unified execution standards across its stores, significantly diminishing the customer experience. Especially for first-time stamp collectors, facing inconsistent information from different stores has made the process even more confusing.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
