Most people assume “free stuff” only happens through giveaways, being an influencer, or luck. In reality, many companies budget for customer goodwill, retention, and recovery—and they’ll tap into it if someone asks the right way. This isn’t about gaming the system or lying. It’s about knowing which companies already expect to give things away and understanding why they do it.
1. Amazon
Amazon has one of the most generous customer service policies in the world, largely because scale allows it. According to reporting from Consumer Reports and internal policy analysis cited by The Wall Street Journal, customer service reps are often authorized to issue refunds, credits, or replacements without requiring returns. The cost of arguing frequently exceeds the cost of appeasing. Speed matters more.
If a delivery is late, damaged, or not as expected, asking politely for a credit often works. You don’t need a dramatic complaint. Clear, calm explanations tend to trigger quick resolutions. Amazon assumes occasional loss as a cost of doing business.
2. Starbucks
Starbucks baristas and store managers have broad discretion to make customers happy. If a drink is made incorrectly or an experience feels off, replacements are often given without question. The company emphasizes customer satisfaction over strict enforcement. Asking respectfully goes a long way.
Starbucks also tracks customer feedback closely. A short message through the app or website often results in free drink credits. The system is built for goodwill recovery.
3. Sephora
Sephora has long leaned into sampling as a loyalty strategy. According to interviews with retail executives and coverage in Business Insider, the company treats free samples as a conversion tool rather than a loss. Associates are trained to offer them, especially to curious or undecided customers. Asking isn’t awkward—it’s expected.
Beyond samples, Sephora is known to issue credits or replacements when products cause reactions or don’t perform as promised. The brand prioritizes trust over policing returns. A calm explanation usually works. Their margins anticipate it.
4. Apple
Apple doesn’t advertise generosity, but its customer support teams have leeway in edge cases. If an accessory fails early, software issues cause disruption, or a repair goes poorly, asking for escalation can lead to free replacements or credits. The company values brand loyalty intensely. Protecting the experience is the priority.
You’re more likely to succeed if you focus on impact rather than blame. Apple responds best to clarity and courtesy. They won’t promise anything upfront, but exceptions are common. Asking opens the door.
5. Netflix
Netflix regularly issues free months or account credits when users experience service problems. According to reporting from Vox and consumer advocacy outlets, the company prefers retention over refunds. A frustrated but calm customer is cheaper to appease than to lose. Credits are part of the playbook.
Reaching out through chat is often enough. You don’t need to threaten cancellation. Simply describing the issue and asking what can be done frequently results in a credit. Netflix assumes goodwill pays off.
6. Target
Target’s customer service model is built around convenience and retention. When something arrives damaged, doesn’t match expectations, or breaks unusually fast, the default response is often a refund or replacement without much pushback. The company understands that small concessions preserve long-term loyalty. Making it easy to say yes is part of the brand promise.
What works best here is calm specificity. Explaining what went wrong and what outcome you’re hoping for keeps the interaction efficient. Target doesn’t need a scene—asking politely aligns with how the system is designed to function.
7. Costco
Costco’s famously generous policies are intentional, not accidental. According to reporting from Consumer Reports and statements from Costco leadership, the company views customer trust as central to its business model. Membership fees fund flexibility, allowing refunds, replacements, and credits even in gray areas. The goal is long-term loyalty, not one-time profit.
Because of that structure, asking works best when it’s straightforward and honest. Costco responds well when something genuinely falls short—they’d rather resolve it quickly than debate.
8. Uber
Uber’s app makes it surprisingly easy to request refunds or credits for service issues. Late arrivals, incorrect charges, or poor experiences often trigger automatic compensation when flagged. The company prioritizes user retention in a competitive market.
You don’t need to argue your case aggressively. Selecting the right issue category and explaining what happened usually does the work. Uber assumes some loss as part of scale. Asking activates systems already in place.
9. Airbnb
Airbnb allows hosts flexibility, but it also empowers guests to request refunds or credits when listings don’t match descriptions. Cleanliness issues, missing amenities, or misleading photos often qualify for compensation. The company’s interest is in maintaining marketplace trust. One unhappy guest can do more damage than one refunded night.
Successful requests tend to focus on documentation rather than emotion. Clear explanations and photos matter. Airbnb isn’t eager to give things away—but when standards aren’t met, asking often leads to partial or full refunds. The platform anticipates these moments.
10. Airlines (For Delays And Inconvenience)
Most airlines won’t proactively offer compensation, but many will provide meal vouchers, miles, or credits if asked. Delays, cancellations, and seating issues are built into airline economics. What’s optional is how much the customer pushes back. Asking shifts the interaction.
The key is timing and tone. Speaking to customer service calmly and clearly increases your chances. Airlines expect some attrition from delays, but they also expect people to ask. The worst outcome is usually a no.
11. Google
When paid services like Google One, YouTube Premium, or Google Workspace glitch, overcharge, or fail to deliver features as expected, support agents often issue credits or partial refunds. The company prioritizes ecosystem trust.
Requests work best when framed around disruption rather than dissatisfaction. Explaining how the issue affected your ability to use the service gives support something concrete to resolve. Google doesn’t default to no—it defaults to efficiency.
12. Spotify
Spotify regularly offers free months, discounted plans, or account credits to users who reach out with billing or service concerns. Playback issues, missing features, or unexpected charges are common entry points. The company’s growth depends on habit and loyalty. Losing a user costs more than comping a month.
Tone matters here. Spotify responds well to reasonable explanations rather than ultimatums. You don’t need to threaten cancellation to be taken seriously. Asking what options are available often gets you further than demanding a specific outcome.
13. Microsoft
Microsoft’s customer support is often more flexible than people expect, especially for subscriptions like Microsoft 365, Xbox Game Pass, or cloud services. When renewals happen unintentionally, or features don’t work as advertised, credits and refunds are common. The company emphasizes long-term enterprise trust.
Clear timelines help. Explaining when the issue started and how it impacted use makes it easier for support to justify an exception.
14. Chewy
Chewy has built a reputation around exceptional customer care, particularly in emotionally sensitive situations. Orders that arrive late, damaged, or no longer needed due to pet illness are often refunded without returns. The company prioritizes empathy as a differentiator.
What makes Chewy unique is how human the interaction feels. You don’t need to oversell your request—clarity and honesty are enough. The company assumes people aren’t abusing the system. Asking is treated as reasonable, not suspicious.
15. DoorDash
DoorDash frequently issues credits or refunds for incorrect, late, or missing items. The platform’s scale means errors are expected, and automated systems are designed to resolve them quickly. Flagging an issue through the app often triggers compensation without escalation.
Being specific improves outcomes. Noting what was missing or delayed helps the system respond accurately. DoorDash doesn’t see credits as losses—they’re retention tools. Asking aligns with how the platform is built to function.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Consult a financial professional before making investment or other financial decisions. The author and publisher make no warranties of any kind.
