Removing Ice and Adding Milk for an Extra $0.50 Sparks Starbucks Chaos! Grande Size Becomes Half Cup, Leading to 'Quit Playing'

Taiwan Starbucks will adjust its customized service fee standards starting October 12, 2026. One item, 'adding milk for no ice or less ice will incur an additional charge of NT$15,' has caused a huge uproar. Some consumers found that Grande size drinks without the extra charge now come half full, as if drinking someone else's leftovers. In response, the Uni-President Group, after internal discussions regarding Starbucks' new fee system, decided to 'politely decline to respond' externally. The controversy surrounding Starbucks' new fee system began when a netizen, claiming to be a loyal customer who buys over 100 drinks a year, complained on Threads. They pointed out that after Starbucks implemented the 'no ice, no milk refill' policy, their Grande latte with no ice was surprisingly cut in half, prompting them to ask, 'Is Starbucks really going to treat its loyal customers like this?' The only debatable point in this incident is whether the refill for the volume is coffee, milk, or water. Normally, ice equals water, so it should be refilled with water. 'Therefore, charging extra for refilling with coffee or milk is completely correct from Starbucks/Uni-President's perspective.' Lin Chuan-chien, Chief Consumer Protection Officer of Taipei City, emphasized that businesses should clearly inform customers about the drink volume after removing ice and the milk refill fee before ordering, and the actual volume should not be unreasonably small. Whether being half a cup after removing ice is illegal still needs to be determined based on product labeling, advertising, and the actual delivery situation.