How Much Can You Save by Bringing Your Own Cup to UK Coffee Shops?

8 Aug

With growing awareness about plastic and paper waste, many coffee chains now reward customers for choosing reusable cups. Not only does this habit help the environment, it can also put a surprising amount of money back in your pocket. Here’s what you need to know.

Reusable Cup Rewards by Chain

  
      Coffee chain
      Incentive/discount
    
      Pret A Manger
      50 p off any hot drink when you bring a reusable cup
    
      Costa Coffee
      Extra loyalty stamp per drink; free drink after 5 purchases (normally 8)
    
      Starbucks
      25 p off and a 5 p disposable‑cup charge
    
      Caffè Nero
      Double loyalty stamps (two per drink)
    
      M&S Café
      50 p off coffee; free drink when purchasing an M&S reusable cup
    
      Waitrose (MyWaitrose)
      Free coffee with any purchase—reusable cup required
    
      Co‑op
      Approx. 25 p off at participating stores
    
      Greggs
      No official discount (sells reusable cups)

The Biggest Savings

Two high‑street favourites, Pret A Manger and Marks & Spencer cafés, offer the largest cash discounts. Both chains knock 50 p off the price of a hot drink when you bring your own cup. For someone buying a coffee each working day, that adds up to more than £180 in annual savings.

Loyalty Points Pay Off

Other chains reward you in different ways. At Costa Coffee, each reusable cup purchase earns an extra loyalty stamp, so you reach your free drink after five purchases instead of eightcosta.co.uk. Caffè Nero goes further, its app awards two stamps per coffee to reusable‑cup customers. If you regularly use these apps, those extra stamps translate into several free coffees over the course of a year.

Even Small Discounts Add Up

Starbucks’ discount is smaller, 25 p, but the chain also charges 5 p for disposable cups, making a reusable cup effectively worth 30 p. Given the volume of cups Starbucks serves daily, this policy sends a strong message about reducing waste while still offering a tangible benefit to customers.

What we think and some extra tips

With discounts of up to 50 p per drink and accelerated loyalty rewards, bringing your own cup isn’t just an eco‑friendly gesture, it’s a savvy financial move. We encourage you to check updated policies regularly, as promotions change, and always ask independent cafés about incentives.

We have collated all of the Highstreet Coffee Loyalty Schemes, so you can also see what you get in return for your loyalty.

Luke Dalton