Starbucks begins offering "free" Wi-Fi — with strings attached

Tue Jun 3, 2008 2:22PM EDT

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Want a couple of "complimentary" hours of Wi-Fi at your local Starbucks? Fine—but you'll need a pre-paid Starbucks card first, along with a tolerance for occasional "special offer" e-mails from AT&T.  

So here's the deal: As of today, you can waltz into any of 7,000 corporate-owned Starbucks, fire up your Wi-Fi-equipped laptop or smartphone, and start surfing away over the store's wireless hotspot, all compliments of Starbucks and AT&T. That's a good start.

First, however (and as previously announced), you'll need a refillable Starbucks Card with at least $5 on it, and you must have used your card at least once within the last 30 days. OK, fine.

Also, you only get two hours of free surfing a day—so if your local Starbucks doubles as your office, you'll have to pay up eventually. Oh, and you must use your two hours of Wi-Fi in one sitting, not an hour here and an hour there.

Then there's the matter of setting up separate AT&T and Starbucks.com accounts online—mildly annoying, but doable.

Last but not least: You also must agree to up to four e-mails per year from AT&T (about "special offers that you might find valuable"). Now, AT&T promises not to give your e-mail address out to anyone else, and four e-mails a year doesn't quite constitute a flood. Still, given the choice, I'd pick no solicitation e-mails at all. 

Guess that's the price you pay for "free" Wi-Fi—at Starbucks, anyway. 

Meanwhile, still no word no word on when (or if) iPhone users will get free Starbucks Wi-Fi access. Will we get an announcement next week during Steve Jobs' Apple keynote? We'll have to wait and see.

Related:
Starbucks offers new flavor: Free Wi-Fi [USA Today]

 

Comments on Starbucks begins offering "free" Wi-Fi — with strings attached

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  • 46 Posted by magikakt on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    or just don't drink ----- ty coffee.

  • 47 Posted by markclinard45 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:07PM EDT Report Abuse

    Starbucks can keep their complicated WI-FI. I am sure that I can find a mom and pop place that will be glad to serve me a hot cup of coffee and all the Wi-Fi I need.

  • 48 Posted by adm1972adm on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    Agreed - Dunkin Donuts, Caribou, etc. have better coffee and goodies, free Wi-Fi, and less pretentious customers. Why bother going through all this hassle?

  • 51 Posted by trest on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    that is the main reason i go to Panera and cheaper

  • 53 Posted by carissa77979 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    nightye23 how hard is it to pronounce latte or mocha man..

  • 54 Posted by yvonnechu61 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    If you have to buy Starbucks gift card to get access to Wi-Fi, then Wi-Fi is not really free. You have to basically trade in with their service, they have the Wi-Fi service and they expect you to keep drinking their coffee daily and have limited time access. I think could be a bad move for them to do business like that since a lot of the coffee shops start having free wi fi service and they dont require to register for AT&T to get that. 4 emails is not a lot but it still annoying to have it once a while.

  • 55 Posted by dancin_barefoot on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:34PM EDT Report Abuse

    good grief. try some real coffee at real place with real people who know what real coffee should taste like and who have real personalities. no really. step out of the mall for once and live a little. they almost all have free wireless without a catch. huh. imagine that.

  • 56 Posted by dano_2000_98 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    Get broadband! WiFi is handy but often slow if there are very many people using it. I rarely go to Starbucks when I need to work but when I do I have no problem putting in my card and getting down to it. For $50 a month unlimited (for now) it is worth it.

  • 57 Posted by noahgrier on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    ----- you, Starbucks. If I'm going to overpay for coffee, I might as well go down the street and get free, unlimited, spam-free Wi-Fi, all day. ----- s.

  • 58 Posted by jbb3n on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:30PM EDT Report Abuse

    Any area populated enough to have a Starbucks will also have a dozen or so Wi-Fi networks close enough to use, and since over half of America's networks don't have any type of security on them, who cares?

  • 59 Posted by starstriking on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    "Meanwhile, stil no word no word on when..." :-) But seriously, Starbucks is awesome!

  • 60 Posted by yzzzguy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:58PM EDT Report Abuse

    I added Hot Spot access to my T-Mobile account years ago so I could use Wi-Fi at Starbucks. I put up with changing store hours (mainly reduced), poor customer service (at times...not always) and increasingly louder music over the strategically placed speakers along with unruly customers and even unruly Starbucks staff members(had to go to noise-cancelling headphones to achieve at least some quiet). Now this slow switchover to AT&T makes me wonder how long my Hot Spot account will be valid before Starbucks forces everyone to use an AT&T account only.

  • 61 Posted by jamestao102 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    ppl who chill at starbucks and pay for their internet are bunch of losers. U can just do this kind of activity straight from your own home.

  • 62 Posted by mred1989 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:27PM EDT Report Abuse

    No Problem I do not patronize Starbucks and have no plans to start

  • 63 Posted by j.peskind on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:26PM EDT Report Abuse

    Not worth it. Now many McDonalds off free wifi, and their coffee is just as good without the pretentiousness.

  • 64 Posted by naija4eva on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    Can you say PANERA???? They have free WI-FI AND delicious meals too

  • 65 Posted by friedturkeyspam on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:03PM EDT Report Abuse

    Free Wi-Fi- service while you drink 10 dollar cups of coffee is free?

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