Starbucks Red Cup Day Is Almost Here—Score a Free Cup with a Holiday Drink Order

Published on October 24, 2025

Red Cup Day is practically its own national holiday at this point, and enthusiasm for the Starbucks event isn’t slowing down in the slightest. Every year on a date in early November, Starbucks offers a special holiday deal for its customers: order any size of a handcrafted holiday drink off the Starbucks menu, and you’ll get a free reusable red cup with it.

This year’s Red Cup Day falls on Thursday, Nov. 13, so get your holiday drink order ready (and prepare for longer lines than usual at your local Starbucks).

Everything You Need to Know About Red Cup Day

You Have to Order a Holiday Drink

In order to qualify for a free red cup, you’ll need to order a handcrafted drink from Starbucks’ winter holiday menu. This year, that includes items like the Peppermint Mocha or the Iced Sugar Cookie Latte.

A handcrafted drink simply means that your barista makes it—no grab-and-go drinks from the fridge if you want a red cup this year. Any size of holiday drink qualifies for a red cup. The red cups only come in one size, however: grande, or 16 oz. Each reusable cup comes with its own lid and can hold both hot and cold drinks.

Your Red Cup Will Be Empty

Your red cup will come alongside your drink, so don’t forget to pick it up at the counter with your order. Your drink will not be made in a red cup the first time you order it on Red Cup Day. However, you can bring your reusable red cup in for your barista to use at a later time.

Drive-Thru and Mobile Orders Are Eligible

Starbucks mobile orders and drive-thru orders are also privy to a free red cup, as long as they qualify. Just know that in some locations, you may have to ask the barista to give you your reusable cup once you arrive. Some Starbucks stores will hold your red cup behind the counter for you to keep it safe until you can pick it up.

If you want multiple red cups this year, simply order more than one qualifying holiday drink. There’s not a strict limit to how many reusable cups one person can receive, according to a Starbucks spokesperson.

Expect Long Lines and Limited Stock

Red Cup Day is a major day for Starbucks, so you should expect your local store to be busy. Long lines are to be expected. If you’re not interested in waiting around, you should definitely place a mobile order.

Many Starbucks stores have reported completely running out of red cups on past Red Cup Days, so ask around if your nearest store has run out by the time you're able to make it in. Testing your luck in the morning is your best bet.