Appreciation post: my 61st free coffee from the Shell station on Route 4, and now I'm torn about the punch card
I stop at the same Shell station on Route 4 most mornings, and this past Tuesday the lady at the counter told me my punch card hit 61, which meant another free coffee on top of the one I'd already earned at 60. That tiny card has been in my truck since January, and somewhere around punch 40 I started wondering if I was stopping there out of habit or because it's actually on my way. Here's the debate I keep having with myself: the free coffee is nice, but I've probably spent more on gas detours than the card has ever saved me. My wife says loyalty cards are just a company tracking my habits, and my brother says who cares, it's free coffee. So which is it, are these cards a genuine thank you to regulars, or am I just paying for my own reward one cup at a time?