An image shared on Facebook appears to show a Starbucks sign claiming the company will only be accepting cashless payments starting Oct. 1, 2022. 

Verdict: Misleading

While stores can accept different payments, a spokesperson for Starbucks confirmed that not all stores will be switching to cashless payments.

Fact Check: 

Starbucks recently named Laxman Narasimhan as its next CEO, staring Oct. 1, according to CNN. The coffeehouse company is also facing a lawsuit from New York City officials alleging a barista “without just cause” was fired for organizing a union, Fox Business reported.

The Facebook post, shared over 470 times, claims that Starbucks will be going cashless starting in October. The image was posted to Twitter where it garnered over 6,000 retweets. The picture appears to be photographed in the U.K., as a banner below the sign has a link to Starbucks’ U.K. website.

“WE’RE GOING CASHLESS FROM 1st OCTOBER 2022 WE WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTING CARD CONTACTLESS & STARBUCKS REWARDS PAYMENTS,” the sign in the image reads. “PLEASE ASK OUR TEAM FOR FURTHER DETAILS.”

Some locations in the U.K. are going cashless, which has sparked calls for boycotts, according to Telegraph & Argus and NorthantsLive. The image in question comes from a tweet by GB News broadcaster Sophie Corcoran.

And so it begins… pic.twitter.com/9uTZjNbzJN

— Sophie Corcoran (@sophielouisecc) August 29, 2022

While some locations are dropping cash payments, the move will not affect all stores. There are no credible news reports to prove that the company as a whole is going cashless. Likewise, Starbucks’ website does not have a press release announcing such a change in their payment systems.

Starbucks UK’s verified Twitter account made a tweet verifying this information. (RELATED: Did Starbucks Say It Was Ending The Upcharge For Plant-Based Milk To Fight ‘Dietary Racism’?)

“Starbucks has no plans to go cashless across our UK stores,” it reads. “We operate alongside various licensee business partners in the UK, so this may vary from store to store and the majority of our stores continue to offer cash payment options.”

Starbucks has no plans to go cashless across our UK stores. We operate alongside various licensee business partners in the UK, so this may vary from store to store and the majority of our stores continue to offer cash payment options.

— Starbucks UK (@StarbucksUK) August 30, 2022

“Starbucks has no plans to go cashless across our U.K., U.S. or Canada stores and we want to shut down any inaccuracies or further speculation on this matter,” a spokesperson for Starbucks said in an email statement to Check Your Fact.

This is not the first time misinformation regarding Starbucks has circulated on social media. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim in February 2021 claiming then-CEO Howard Schultz urged those who supported traditional marriage to not buy the company’s coffee.