Finally, Starbucks came to its senses. The ubiquitous coffee giant will begin offering unlimited free WiFi starting July 1, 2010. Previously, you had to register your Starbucks card, maintain a certain balance, and have used it regularly to get a free connection, and then only for two hours.
This move will certainly attract more customers and maybe win back those who switched to McDonald’s for their cheaper coffee and free WiFi.
Other places to get free Wifi:
Barnes & Noble – no purchase necessary
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – technically no purchase necessary as WiFi code appears in super small font at the bottom of their TV monitors, but you’ll probably end up buying a drink or pastry
Peet’s Coffee – purchase necessary as WiFi access code is printed at the bottom of your receipt
Panera Bread – technically no purchase necessary but you’ll probably buy a sandwich anyway
Cosi – same as Panera
Readers added these suggestions:
Your local library
McDonald’s
Local indie coffee shop
Community centers
Colleges and universities
Where do you go for free WiFi?
I know where my office away from home is: Barnes & Noble, which yesterday started offering free wifi to customers. The bookseller promises, “No fees. No charges. Just log on.” Sweet!
B&N hopes that free wifi will encourage shoppers to purchase books online when they are sold out in the store.
Of course, this will take a lot of business away from Starbucks, which offers 2 free hours of wifi to customers who register their Starbucks card. The move will force other retailers to offer free wifi, which is good for consumers!
Thanks, Dad!
