Starbucks changed its prices across NC. How it’ll affect your favorite drink
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Starbucks now charges flat fees for customizations like syrups and powders.
- New pricing removes size-based charges. Starbucks says this offers a better value.
- Menu drink prices remain unchanged. Add-ons now reflect standardized costs.
The price of your next grande lavender latte at Starbucks may be a little different now.
Last month, the international coffee giant changed how it charges for customized drinks, such as the pumps of syrups and sweeteners that are hallmarks of some of the brand’s most popular drinks.
The new pricing structure went into effect in late June and will mostly impact Starbucks customers who personalize their drinks.
Did Starbucks increase prices?
Starbucks notes that there are now fewer fees. The coffee brand is now charging a flat fee of $.80 to add syrups, sweetener and powder, $1 for Matcha powder and $.50 for dried fruit.
In the past, syrups and sweeteners were charged per add-on and varied by the size of the drink.
“We’re standardizing pricing, which will ultimately result in a better value for many customers,” a Starbucks spokesperson told The News & Observer via email.
Starbucks price list
Starbucks drinks range from $2.55 for a short black coffee to more than $6 for specialty drinks. Add-ons push costs even higher:
- For sauces and sweeteners, the $.80 upcharge is a one-time cost whether you add one syrup or five. Customers are also not charged for extra pumps. (The standard Starbucks syrup comes with four pumps.)
- A pump of Chai concentrate would be an additional $.80.
- The price of pre-flavored menu drinks is unaffected.
- The $1 upcharge for Matcha powder applies only to non-Matcha drinks.
As the changes are new, Starbucks is running limited testing tweaks to its in-app ordering system that will show real time prices and changes as a customer builds a drink. Currently, most users won’t know the cost of a drink until they check out.
This is the second major price change for Starbucks in the last year. In late 2024, the company stopped charging extra for non-dairy milks, like oat and soy. That policy remains in place.
Starbucks near me
There are more than 17,000 company owned and licensed Starbucks locations in the U.S., more than 400 in North Carolina and more than 50 in the Triangle. To find the closest Starbucks, visit starbucks.com/store-locator.
Inspired by a story from The Sacramento Bee in California.
This story was originally published July 17, 2025 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Starbucks changed its prices across NC. How it’ll affect your favorite drink."
