Gerry Palmers Culture 09.13.2022 02:Sep AM EDT

U.S. Starbucks Customers Can Soon Collect NFTs to Earn Rewards, Immersive Experiences

What about collecting the rarest non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to earn mouth-watering Starbucks rewards, which include precious never-before-offered immersive experiences?

Starbucks Coffee unveiled on Monday Starbucks Odyssey, a forthcoming extension to its popular rewards program that is set to encourage customers to collect NFTs, which will make customers earn chances to gain immersive experiential rewards, and this may include virtual expresso martini-making class, an invite to events at Starbucks Reserve Roasteries and a trip to Costa Rica to visit one of the company's coffee suppliers.

Starbucks Odyssey Allows Customers to Create, Trade Blockchain-Secured NFTs

Starbucks Odyssey, is the company's new experience thar is powered by Web3 technology allowing Starbucks Rewards members and Starbucks partners or employees in the U.S. the opportunity to earn and purchase these NFTs or what the company calls "digital collectible assets" to unlock access to new benefits and immersive coffee experiences.

To do so, customers need to complete "journeys," which are games and quizzes, after which they earn "journey stamps." But Starbucks will surely shorten and simplify the process by letting patrons buy "limited-edition stamps" from the Starbucks Odyssey website. Purchasing them won't necessitate the use of any cryptocurrency, with Starbucks accepting credit cards. For customers concerned about the possible environmental impact of Starbucks inserting a Web3 component to its rewards program, the coffee giant says Odyssey will utilize a proof-of-stake blockchain built by Polygon.

Each digital collectable stamp will include a point value depending on its rarity, and these stamps can be bought or sold among members within the marketplace, with ownership sealed on the Polygon blockchain. As these stamps are collected, members' points will increase, allowing access to precious never-before-offered benefits and experiences.

All these digital collectible stamps will show iconic Starbucks artwork co-created with Starbucks employees as well as external artists - giving rewards program members and empoyees access to these assets for the first time. In addition, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the limited-edition stamps will be donated to support causes that are important to Starbucks employees and Starbucks Rewards members.

Starbucks EVP and chief marketing officer Brady Brewer said the company's vision is to "create a place where our digital community can come together over coffee, engage in immersive experiences, while celebrating the "heritage and future of Starbucks." Starbucks employees and Rewards members can join a waitlist to try Odyssey later this year.

How to Join Odyssey Waitlist to First Experience Starbucks Web3 Offering

Customers can sign up for the waitlist at https://waitlist.starbucks.com/. Invitations will be sent to select waitlist members, who will be among the first to explore the experience later this year. As Starbucks Odyssey evolves, feedback from Rewards members and Starbucks employees will be gathered an recorded to help shape the future of this Web3-driven extension of Starbucks Rewards.