Editorial Standards

Green Mermaid Review covers a company that millions of people interact with every day, and we take that responsibility seriously. These are the standards every story on this site is held to, whether it carries an individual byline or the Editorial Team byline.

Independence

Green Mermaid Review is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by Starbucks Corporation. The company does not review or approve our stories before publication. We do not accept payment, free products or other benefits in exchange for coverage. If we ever receive a product sample or attend a company event, we say so in the story.

Accuracy and sourcing

• We prefer primary sources: official company announcements, store signage and menu boards, earnings reports, regulatory filings, and what we see and photograph in person.
• When we rely on another publication’s reporting, we credit and link to it.
• Prices, dates and availability can vary by store and region. When they do, we say where and when we checked.
• We confirm store openings and closures with the company, local officials, signage or a visit before reporting them as fact.

Rumors, leaks and unconfirmed launches

Coffee fans love a leak, and so do we. But we clearly label anything that has not been confirmed. Headlines and stories about unconfirmed drinks, release dates or changes use words like “rumored,” “reportedly” or “unconfirmed,” explain where the information came from, and are updated as soon as the facts are confirmed or ruled out.

Anonymous sources

Baristas and store employees sometimes share information with us on the condition that we don’t name them. We grant anonymity only when the information is newsworthy, can’t be obtained on the record, and we have reason to believe the source is in a position to know. We describe anonymous sources as specifically as we safely can.

Photography and images

Most images on Green Mermaid Review are original photographs by our team, credited in the caption. We do not use AI-generated images to depict real products, stores, people or events. Company-provided images are labeled as such. Illustrations and graphics are clearly identifiable as illustrations.

Use of AI tools

We may use AI tools to help with research, transcription, organizing notes or early drafts. A human editor reviews, fact-checks and takes responsibility for every story we publish, and nothing is published without that review.

Reviews

Our reviewers buy what they review at regular prices, at regular stores. Ratings reflect the reviewer’s honest opinion and follow the scale described in How We Review.

Updates and corrections

When a story changes in a meaningful way, we update it and show an “Updated” date. When we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. See our corrections policy.

Advertising and affiliate links

Advertising and editorial decisions are kept separate. If we add advertising or affiliate links in the future, they will be clearly disclosed, and they will never affect what we cover or how we rate it.

Contact the editor

Questions or concerns about our coverage can be sent through our contact page and are read by an editor.