Starbucks, New York Times Team Up on Free Articles

John Zimmer, co-founder and president of the San Francisco-based Lyft, predicted the partnership will help build the growing company’s brand.

Mr. Schultz said 20% of purchases at Starbucks stores around the world are now made using a mobile device and that digital initiatives “have become a driving catalytic engine in our company”. Additionally, the companies said Lyft will “explore the possibilities” of providing “cost effective” transportation for Starbucks workers in a test market.

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz suggested that the partnership with Lyft could eventually evolve into one where drivers for the rideshare service deliver Starbucks food and beverages.

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However, this news increases the companies’ current partnership, which enables customers at Starbucks to have free digital access to 15 articles daily on NYTimes.com in many Starbucks’ locations through its own Starbucks Digital Network. Lyft drivers also get automatically upgraded to “gold status” at Starbucks, a perk normally reserved for those who buy more than 30 drinks in a year.

These agreements open a new source of revenue for the coffee giant, which sells its loyalty points to the partnering companies.

And yet integrating Times content into its app is more than Starbucks acting as a digital version of a print newsstand. Lyft drivers also will be able to receive Starbucks eGifts from customers wishing to thank their driver.

NEW YORK (AP) — Starbucks says people will soon be able earn rewards points by using the ride-hailing service Lyft, a move meant to further expand the universe of its loyalty program. Customers will then have the ability to redeem those earned stars for food and beverages at participating Starbucks® stores.