The Dunkin Donuts Subreddit Is Nearing A Riot Over Stingy Change To Rewards Program

All is not well in the state of Dunkinland after coffee and doughnut chain Dunkin' Donuts quietly unveiled a change in their rewards program that makes it so customers will have to spend more in order to qualify for a free drink.

Last week, the company unveiled its new rewards program, promising that "Dunkin’ Rewards members will earn points faster, receiving 10 points for every $1 spent compared to 5 points with DD Perks. Plus, rewards start at just 150 points instead of 200 points, meaning members can redeem a reward after spending $15."

Though Dunkin Donuts trotted out its new system like it's a boon for its customers, Dunkin' Rewards members are fuming. The /r/DunkinDonuts subreddit subreddit is filled with posts from angry Dunkiners bemoaning the change, with some even going so far as to call for a boycott.

It's no surprise that a company changing their benefits program to maximize profits is eliciting backlash from its customers, but calls for a boycott are particularly eye-catching from the Dunkin fandom. It's a running joke that certain parts of America (see: New England) are intensely loyal to Dunkin Donuts to the point of mentally organizing their hometowns based on the chain's locations. It should take something particularly vile to shake Dunkin drinkers off the brand.

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So why is the new profit scheme so bad? According to users of /r/DunkinDonuts, the chief problem with the new rewards system is that the good stuff is locked behind lots of money. One common complaint in the subreddit is that to receive a free iced latte, customers will now have to spend $90 with the new system. One user reported, "It'll take two months of Monday orders now to get the free beverage I used to get after two weeks."

Dunkin employees on the subreddit are reporting receiving abuse from customers angry that the points they'd accumulated are now worth a lot less. "A decision made by the corporation brings all the ire they deserve right to us minimum-wage teens," wrote one beleaguered employee.

With many Dunkin loyalists threatening to take their business to similar chains like Starbucks, Wawa and McDonald's, it seems the double-D has a significant problem on their hands. In the meantime, the Dunkin subreddit has made for incredible reading.