Starbucks ends full refund policy; 60% usage now required

Starbucks Korea has concluded its temporary policy offering full refunds on prepaid balances, a measure introduced to quell controversy surrounding its "Tank Day" marketing campaign. The special refund period, which began on June 1 and lasted for two weeks, ended on June 14.

Beginning June 15, the company will revert to its standard refund policy. Under this policy, customers must have used at least 60% of their total charged balance to be eligible for a refund on the remaining amount. Refund requests can be made through the Starbucks app, with processing taking up to seven business days, or in person at a store for immediate reimbursement.

The temporary full refund initiative was a response to public outcry following the "Tank Day" promotion, which drew criticism. During the refund period, Starbucks saw a notable surge in app engagement. Data from mobile analytics firm IGAWorks indicated that the daily active users of the Starbucks app reached 1,419,160 on June 1, with an average of 1,272,987 users on June 1 and 2. This represents a 30.9% increase compared to the average of 860,998 users on May 30 and 31.