In July 2024 Pret A Manger changed Club Pret in the UK from up to five free barista drinks a day for £30 a month to half-price drinks for £10 a month, introduced at £5 a month until 31 March 2025. The cheaper plan appeals to more people and keeps margin on every cup, but heavy users were furious.
Key takeaways
- An all-you-can-drink subscription attracts exactly the customers who cost you most.
- A "member price" (half off) keeps every visit profitable and lowers the price of entry.
- Expect a backlash from the superusers your old plan created.
- Pret softened the change with an intro rate of £5 a month for about eight months.
- Pret kept the original model in the US, so the right design can differ by market.
In The Subscription Playbook I asked you to imagine running a coffee shop.
If you work "in" the business, you make the coffee and sweep the floors. If you work "on" it, you hire people and build processes. And if you work "over" it, you build a chain.
Pret A Manger is what a coffee shop looks like when someone works "over" it for decades. A chain. A famous brand. And, for a while, one of the most talked-about cafe subscriptions anywhere.
Then Pret had to make a decision that only someone working "over" a business can make. It changed the deal for its most loyal customers.
What Was the Original Club Pret Deal?
Club Pret let members have up to five barista drinks a day, plus 20% off food.
By 2024 it cost £30 a month (£360 a year) in the UK.
For a daily regular, that was a bargain. Two lattes a day, five days a week, and the drinks cost well under a pound each.
For Pret, that same customer was the problem. The heaviest users were the most expensive to serve.
What Did Pret Change in July 2024?
In July 2024 Pret said it was "time to rethink."
| Old Club Pret (UK) | New Club Pret (UK) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £30 a month (£360 a year) | £10 a month (intro £5 a month until 31 Mar 2025) |
| Drinks | Up to five barista drinks a day, free | Half-price drinks |
| Pitch | Unlimited-style value for regulars | A cheaper, more accessible offer |
Pret framed the new plan as more accessible than "the £360 a year people have to pay for the current scheme."
Loyal heavy users were furious. The Guardian reported customers "left fuming over end of 'free drinks'."
Why Would Pret Make Its Subscription Cheaper?
Because the old plan was a magnet for the wrong customers.
Here's the classic subscription trap. When you launch an all-you-can-drink plan, who signs up first? Not the person who pops in twice a week. It's the person who drinks four coffees a day and can do the math in their head.
You end up with a member base skewed toward your least profitable customers.
Why five free drinks a day is risky (illustrative)
- Assume a barista drink sells for £3.50 and costs £1.20 to make. These are not Pret's figures.
- A member pays £30 a month and has 3 drinks a day, 20 days a month: 60 drinks.
- Revenue per drink: £30 / 60 = £0.50. That's below the illustrative cost of £1.20.
- On a half-price plan, the same 60 drinks bring in £10 + (60 x £1.75) = £115.
Under the free-drinks model, the heavy user loses money on every cup. Under the discount model, every cup still covers its cost.
The new plan swaps generosity for safety. It's cheaper to join, so more casual customers will try it. And because every drink is still paid for (at half price), no member can cost more than they bring in.
Model your subscription against your heaviest customers
Find a monthly price that still makes money after costs, GST and fees with the Subscription Price Calculator.
Did Pret Abandon "Free Drinks" Everywhere?
No, and that's the interesting part.
In the US, Club Pret is still sold at $40 a month for up to five drinks a day, plus 20% off food. US members also earn loyalty "stars" each month they renew.
So the same company runs two very different subscription designs in two markets. That tells me there's no single right answer. It depends on local prices, costs, competition and how heavily members actually use the plan.
How Does This Fit the Book's Frameworks?
Club Pret started as a mix of two of the eight models: the Unlimited Content model (the drinks) and the Member Benefits model (20% off food). The UK change moved it firmly toward member benefits: you pay for a better price, not for free stuff.
It's also a churn story. In the book I said your long-term customers are your most valuable customers. Pret's change risked losing exactly those people. The intro price of £5 a month was its attempt to keep them while they got used to the new deal.
My take
I'd have done the same thing, with one difference. Rather than switching every heavy user at once, I'd have grandfathered existing members for a few months on the old plan, then moved them across. You keep the goodwill of your biggest fans and still fix the economics for every new member.
What You Can Steal From Pret
- Model your subscription against your top 10% of users, not the average. That's who joins first.
- Consider a "member price" instead of "free." Half price, or 20% off, means every visit still contributes margin.
- When you change terms, give a long lead time and an intro rate. Pret's £5 for about eight months softened the blow.
- Think about grandfathering. Existing members on old terms for a set period, new members on new terms.
- Test by market or location. Pret runs different designs in the UK and US. You can run different designs in different stores.
For an Australian cafe, remember the price customers see includes GST, so your margin per cup is lower than it looks. Run your numbers through the Subscription Price Calculator, and if you're changing an existing plan, the Price Increase Simulator shows the break-even churn.
Free Subscription Profit Review
Australian business owners can book a free 30-minute review with a BPAG Accountants adviser. An honest conversation about:
- whether a subscription model could work for your business
- how recurring revenue could cover your fixed costs each month
- how it could lift what your business is worth
No cost, no obligation. General information only until we understand your situation.
When Is a Free-Drinks Subscription Still a Good Idea?
When it's capped, when the drink is cheap to make, and when members buy food on most visits.
That's the approach Panera landed on: one drink a day, not five. Read how Panera learned "unlimited" needs a limit, see the loyalty-program alternative in Starbucks' tiered Rewards story, and use our cafe subscription guide to design your own.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Club Pret in the UK now?
After the July 2024 change, Club Pret in the UK became a £10-a-month subscription for half-price drinks, introduced at £5 a month until 31 March 2025, according to The Guardian's reporting at the time. Prices and terms can change, so check Pret's UK app or website for the current offer before comparing it with anything else.
Is Club Pret still five free drinks a day in the US?
Yes. As of October 2026, Pret's US website sells Club Pret at $40 a month for up to five drinks a day plus 20% off food, and members earn loyalty stars each month they renew. That's the original model the UK moved away from in 2024.
Why were Pret customers angry about the change?
Because heavy users lost the most. A regular who drank several barista drinks a day under the old £30 plan suddenly faced paying half price for every cup. The Guardian reported customers "left fuming over end of 'free drinks'." The new plan was cheaper to join, but for daily multi-drink regulars it cost more.
Is a discount subscription better than a free-drinks subscription?
It's safer for margin. With a discount plan every visit still earns you money, so your heaviest users can't cost more than they pay. A free-drinks plan builds a stronger habit and feels more generous, but your profit depends on most members using it moderately. Many cafes do best with a capped free plan, such as one drink a day.
How should a cafe change a subscription without losing members?
Give plenty of notice, explain why in plain words, and offer an introductory rate or a grace period for existing members. Consider grandfathering your most loyal members for a while. In Australia, check your terms and the rules on price and term changes first, especially with new subscription laws due from 1 July 2027.
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Robert Coorey, MBA
Robert is the author of The Subscription Playbook and Feed a Starving Crowd and a Director at BPAG Accountants in Sydney. More about Robert.
Sources
- The Guardian, Pret a Manger customers left fuming over end of 'free drinks' (18 Jul 2024)
- Pret A Manger US, Pret A Manger Expands Coffee Subscription into Food with Introduction of Club Pret in the US
- Pret A Manger US, Club Pret page (checked Oct 2026)
Facts and prices checked 27 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.