Want A Free Starbucks? Try Jonathan's Card
Ever needed a penny at the grocery checkout, and gotten one (or two) from the little bowl next to the register? You know, the one that says “Take a penny, leave a penny?” It’s been a life saver for me once or twice in much younger, leaner years. Since then, I’ve left many a penny in return to help others; one of many trifling forms of pay-it-forward.
Mobile app consultant Jonathan Stark has taken this concept, and put it into play for entire cups of coffee. Starbucks Coffee, that is.
In an online (and real life) experiment that many will likely see as a lot more interesting than a shiny free penny, Stark (photo, left) has created a simple social movement, calling it Jonathan’s Card. Stark created a web page, and shared on it a nice, clear image of the backside of his Starbucks card, publicly invited anyone to take a photo of his card with their smart phones. This image can then be scanned at your local Starbucks, in order to get a free coffee at the popular java spot, whenever and wherever you want.
Yes, free Starbucks coffee, courtesy of Jonathan’s Card.
In keeping with the fair “Take one, leave one” concept listed above, Stark appeals to the angels of our better natures, asking those enjoying a cup at his card’s expense to please deposit a few dollars back when financial times are fatter, so others can also enjoy that free Caramel Frappuccino or upside down Macchiato.
Okay, a cup of coffee won’t change the lives of others all that much. Not like the Charity Water page of 9-year-old Rachel Beckwith. (After her death from a tragic car accident came to light in the media, complete strangers moved the $300 balance she had achieved before her death to $826,000, bringing fresh water to over 40,000 people.) But for someone trying to make ends meet at the end of a long month, a free Starbucks pick-me-up might brighten their corner of the world...
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