---
title: Starbucks System Outage Means Free Drinks for Some Customers
description: Some Starbucks stores are giving customers free drinks after an outage, which shut down the payment system of stores in the U.S. and Canada
authors:
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published: '2017-05-16T20:14:23.000Z'
modified: '2024-04-17T05:53:00.000Z'
section: Business
tags:
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  - Starbucks
word_count: 125
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type: Article
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> **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/).

![Inside A Starbucks Corp. Location Ahead Of Earnings Figures](https://img.money.com/2016/07/gettyimages-506055530.jpg)

A [Starbucks](https://money.com/starbucks-frappuccino-happy-hour/) computer system crash, which shut down the [payment system](http://www.extracrispy.com/culture/1700/how-to-make-the-most-of-that-starbucks-gift-card-you-didnt-really-want) of stores around the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday, was good news for some customers.

Several customers who were affected by the outage said they received [free drinks](http://www.extracrispy.com/culture/1797/how-to-get-a-free-starbucks-drink-through-the-end-of-december) as a result. The outage was a result of an overnight software update, according to *[Fortune](http://fortune.com/2017/05/16/starbucks-computers/?xid=soc_socialflow_twitter_FORTUNE)*.

A number of Starbucks customers on social media shared news of the free drinks.

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A Starbucks spokesperson told *Fortune* that there is not an official free coffee policy for this kind of event. However, Starbucks' said on Twitter that they were glad they could "make it right" when responding to some customers who said they were happy about the unexpected perk of a payment system failure.

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