Starbucks rolls out $1 charge for certain orders, causing confusion

(NEXSTAR) – Starbucks boasts more than 170,000 ways for customers to tailor drink orders to get a preferred type of milk or that perfect sweetness level, but a new $1 charge is causing some confusion.

On Tuesday, the coffee chain announced that customers who request a Refresher with no water will have to pay a buck extra, “as this customization requires extra ingredients.”

Starbucks Refreshers are cold drinks that are made with various fruit juices and green coffee extract.

“This change allows us to provide a more consistent approach to customization, similar to other beverage customizations such as adding an espresso shot or syrup which incur an additional charge,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Nexstar in a statement.

News of the surcharge prompted confusion on social media, however. “Apparently starbucks will now charge you $1 extra if you ask for light ice,” one person tweeted.

A Reddit user posted an image purportedly showing a sign posted at a Starbucks announcing that Refreshers must come standard or with no ice for the $1 extra, and that light ice is no longer an option.

A Starbucks spokesperson confirmed to Nexstar that, despite the online rumors, Refreshers can still be customized with light ice or no ice free of charge, and the fee only applies to “no water” customizations.

Starbucks refreshers come in a number of flavors that include mango dragonfruit, pineapple passionfruit lemonade, strawberry acai lemonade and more.