Why Dunkin' Fans Are Unhappy With The Revamped Rewards Program
Dunkin' rehauled its reward program on October 6, 2022. Previously known as DD Perks, the rewards program is now called Dunkin' Rewards and aims to improve the reward experience using customer feedback, according to a Dunkin' press release. President of Dunkin' Scott Murphy said the new rewards program focuses on "flexibility, variety, and recognition," which includes more drink and food options for reward redemption, an exclusive Boosted Status for loyal Dunkin' customers, and more versatility for how and when customers decide to redeem points.
The new Dunkin' Rewards program also has a restructured points-earning system, with each dollar spent earning customers 10 points instead of 5 points like the old program had. Rewards are now available after earning 150 points, whereas a minimum of 200 points were required with the old program before being able to redeem them. Dunkin' also now allows customers to redeem as many rewards as they want per transaction, and as long as rewards members make at least one Dunkin' purchase every six months, their points will not expire.
As if all of that wasn't enough, there's also a Boosted Status loyalty level that members can achieve by visiting a Dunkin' 12 times in one month. This all sounds great, right? Well, some Dunkin' fans are not happy at all with the new rewards program, and some have even gone to the extent of deleting the app and finding a new favorite coffee chain or making their coffee at home.
Fans are upset because it will cost them more now to get a free drink
Various Reddit users expressed their dissatisfaction with the updated Dunkin' Rewards on r/DunkinDonuts. One user posted, "[T]he new [Dunkin'] rewards system was the final nail in the coffin. My go to was always an iced latte, the signature ones when I was feelin[g] extra, and spending $90 to get a free one is an absolute NOPE from me. And no more birthday drinks?!?" In response to the post, another user commented, "I had 199 points on Monday and I was 1 point away from a free drink. Now I have 349 points, but it costs 900 points for the same drink I would have gotten for 200 before. This sucks. No more DD for me." The rest of the comments echoed similar thoughts, with some saying they won't be returning to Dunkin' solely because of the new rewards program.
Focusing on the positives of the rewards program change, President of Dunkin' Scott Murphy said (via NBC News), "Change is always going to be an adjustment, but in the long run, Dunkin' loyalists will benefit even more. Dunkin' Rewards is all about choice for our members; with a more dynamic rewards structure where they start earning rewards at a lower spend threshold, they can redeem points for a wider variety of food and beverages and choose when and how they use their points." So maybe Dunkin's fall 2022 menu will change some fans' minds.