I so enjoy doing 'pay it forward coffee'

[BarryWhiteIsMyBrother]

Last year I started paying it forward when I'm at the Costa drive through getting a coffee. Grant you, I do check how much the car behind me is spending in case the order is massive and beyond my ability to pay for it, but usually it's just one or two drinks. I get so excited every time I do that because it is such a small gesture but it's likely to make the recipient smile. I've never had it done to me but I find that paying it forward with coffee has such a huge 'return' that I'm disappointed when there isn't a car behind me queuing to order at Costa. But when I do do it, I always drive away with a smile myself. Anyone else?

Oooo I love this . I'm going to do this next time :)

You'll get hooked! The ability to put a smile on someone's face with the cost of a coffee will definitely improve your day. You simply tell the cashier you'd like to pay it forward and ask how much the bill of the car behind you is. It's quite a common thing so the cashier will know what you're on about. Enjoy!

A cafe where I used to work had a suspended coffee system, so you could pay for extra, and then someone could enquire (usually homeless) if there was a suspended coffee available and get one for free that way.

@BarryWhiteIsMyBrother

You'll get hooked! The ability to put a smile on someone's face with the cost of a coffee will definitely improve your day. You simply tell the cashier you'd like to pay it forward and ask how much the bill of the car behind you is. It's quite a common thing so the cashier will know what you're on about. Enjoy!

Can you do it inside the shop if you have walked in? In the one I go in most often at the moment the person behind behind me in the queue won't even have ordered by the time I am paying, so I assume it wouldn't really be possible?

I love stuff like this. I do "bucketfull of kindness" with children and it is so good

I appreciate the joy it gives you OP, but I think there might be more worthy targets than people who can afford drive through coffee

So you pay for a stranger's coffee who might even have more money to burn than you have. Can't see the point.

A cafe local to me before lockdown had started a post it note coffee board, when you bought your own coffee you could pay for one to go on the board then they advertised on social media etc that they had a board full of coffees for anyone who needed one. I thought that was a really good way of doing it.

There's a Costa near my supermarket - I might go this afternoon and see if I can pay it forward again today

A few months ago we were driving home from a beach day (over an hour journey), stopped in a little county town to use the public toilets, got back to our car and someone had put $50 on the windscreen. It was the most random, strange thing, but most definitely put a smile on our faces, we looked around for ages trying to see who's done it. At first we thought someone had bashed the car and driven off, but it was perfect!

Its a lovely thing for you to do op. It would certainly brighten my day

@thecatsthecats

I appreciate the joy it gives you OP, but I think there might be more worthy targets than people who can afford drive through coffee

This, no.

Suspended coffee, yes.

I think it’s a lovely idea - a very direct way of bringing a smile to someone’s face Good for you!

I hate this shit. If I can't afford my order I wouldn't make it. It would make more sense to donate to your local food bank

This is not supposed to be charity. It's supposed to be a nice thing for a random person. It's an act to make someone smile - not feed them because they can't feed themselves.