Pret a Manger hikes the cost of its subscription by £5/month - here's what's happening

The coffee chain blames the hikes on increases to the cost of milk, coffee beans, and VAT - which will revert to 20% on 1 April from its Covid-19 reduced rate of 5% - as well as saying it needs the extra cash to pay for forthcoming wage rises. 

Customers with 'The Pret Coffee Subscription' can redeem one "barista-prepared" drink – including coffees, teas and iced drinks – every 30 minutes, up to a maximum of five a day.

The shake-up doesn't, however, impact Pret's separate loyalty scheme, which launched in December last year and will continue to be free to join. Under this initiative, users collect one star per transaction. Stars can then be redeemed on free food and drink.

If you're unhappy about the hike, you can cancel your subscription penalty-free at any time and it will stop at the end of the month you chose to cancel in. To do this, you can either click the link to 'manage account' in any of the subscription renewal emails you receive, or follow this link to Pret's website and choose 'manage account'. 

You can continue to use any loyalty stars earned even if you cancel your barista subscription. You just need to ensure you still have a 'Pret Perks' account, which you would have created before becoming a subscriber or loyalty scheme member. 

If you're an avid coffee drink, see our Pay £1, get up to 50p off most Pret and Starbucks drinks EVERY time blog for more on reusable cup discounts.