Why did coffee beans in Starbucks Japan carry wrong prices for ten years?

Starbucks Japan has apologized after admitting that 164 coffee bean products sold at its stores nationwide were charged above the listed price from September 2014 to January 2024. Over that decade, 5,896 bags were affected and customers paid 124,033 yen in total overcharges, roughly 1 to 65 yen per item, because a register system defect left staff to enter bean weight manually.

When the weight step was skipped at checkout, the system showed a higher amount than the shelf price, and customers who did not spot the difference paid it. The company says the cash register flaw was fixed earlier this year and offers three refund routes: stored-value card members receive the difference automatically, while others bring receipts or purchase details to the counter.

Starbucks Japan recently issued an announcement admitting that from September 2014 to January 2024, 164 types of coffee beans at stores nationwide were priced higher than the listed price due to a defect in the cash register system settings. Over the ten years, 5,896 bags of affected products were sold, with overcharges totaling 124,033 yen. The company has corrected the system and apologized, while offering three refund options: stored-value card members will automatically receive the difference back, while other customers need to bring receipts or provide purchase information at the counter. Netizens generally believe the time span is too long and the amounts too small, suggesting more practical compensation such as drink vouchers as an apology.

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Starbucks Japan recently released a public notice stating that since 2014, the actual checkout prices of some in-store products have consistently been higher than the official listed prices, meaning customers who purchased the affected products unknowingly paid extra.

According to the official statement, during the nearly ten-year period from September 12, 2014, to January 31, 2024, a total of 164 coffee bean products at Starbucks stores across Japan had pricing anomalies at the point of sale, with consumers paying an extra 1 to 65 yen (approximately 0.05 to 2.94 yuan) per item at checkout.

Statistics show that over these ten years, Starbucks sold a total of 5,896 bags of coffee beans with pricing discrepancies, overcharging customers a cumulative total of 124,033 yen (approximately 5,606.5 yuan).

The official explanation for this error is that the cash register system settings were flawed—after scanning these products, staff still needed to manually enter the weight information of the coffee beans. If staff missed the step of manually entering the specifications during checkout, the amount displayed by the system would be higher than the actual listed price of the product, and customers who failed to notice the numerical difference completed payment at the incorrect price.

Starbucks stated that this loophole in the in-store cash register system was fixed earlier this year and similar issues will not occur again. At the same time, the company apologized to the public for this decade-long error and promised to refund the overcharged differences to consumers.

Regarding this matter, netizens generally feel that the time span of Starbucks' incorrect charging is simply too long, and the vast majority of people could not possibly keep an ordinary shopping receipt for ten years. Even if someone kept a receipt, the writing on it has likely long faded and become illegible.

Moreover, the amount overcharged each time was actually very small. Rather than digging up purchase records and contacting stores for a refund, it would be better to offer more practical compensation, such as giving affected users drink vouchers, which is both convenient and demonstrates the brand's sincerity in apologizing.

Starbucks clearly anticipated these concerns from netizens, as the announcement provides three refund methods. Customers who paid with a Starbucks stored-value membership card have the easiest time—the company will proactively check the member's purchase records and directly credit the overcharged difference back to their account, so consumers can get their refund without leaving home.

Customers who purchased coffee beans through other payment methods face relatively more hassle, as they need to provide the original shopping receipt and visit a designated refund counter in person to complete the process. After staff verify the information, the difference will be refunded in cash.

If consumers have already lost their shopping receipt, or the writing on an old receipt is too blurry to read, they can go to the refund counter and provide staff with information such as the store name, product type, quantity purchased, and time of purchase. After verification, they can still receive the corresponding refund.

Image source: Internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.