Starbucks bringing NFTs to the masses with new reward program

Members of the Starbucks® Odyssey program can purchase collectible coffee beans for use in their own personal coffeemaker at select stores.

• Starbucks has been hinting at building web3 experiences for some time now.
• Built on Polygon, Nifty Gateway will provide NFT marketplaces for developers.
• Mass Media has already started pushing back against the program.

As Greek heroes prove their devotion to their wives in Homer’s epics, so too is Starbucks testing the loyalty of its customers by using blockchain technology. On Monday, Starbucks unveiled a partnership with blockchain startup Polygon powered by Nifty Gateway. To encourage people to use its app, Starbucks is offering them rewards through NFTs called. These cards can be used for discounts at participating stores and for special offers from Starbucks. US-based Starbucks has partnered with nifty gateway allowing for opportunities for playing games and completing tasks that help improve their understanding of coffee and the Starbucks Brand. The rewards? NFTs, which the company calls “journey stamps,” members can buy using either crypto or a credit cards, and then sell their NFTs for fiat currency through an online marketplace.

With each new NFT, members’ points will be increased. More points means more chances for members to earn better items.

Potential experiences might be things like a virtual espresso martini making course, invitations to events at Starbuck’s Reserve Roasteries or maybe even trips to Starbucks Hacendada Alsacia in Costa Rica. The Starbucks Odyssey web application was created using Polygons Proof-Of-Stake (PoS) side chain and aims to enable low gas costs and fast transactions. However, faster throughput has been traded off for greater degrees of decentralisation than the Ethereum network.

Nifty Gateway, which was acquired by Gemini last year, has announced plans to integrate its blockchain technology into the Starbucks Odyssey app.