Reader Robert writes in to point out that according to Foursquare’s FAQ, any rogue Starbucks baristas that are mayors of their locations are cheaters.

For those of you who are confused, Foursquare is this thing you put on your phone. When you go somewhere, you “check in” and you get credit for being wherever you are. If you are the person who checks in the most at a location, you get to be the “Mayor.” Starbucks gives coupons for this honor, but some people are annoyed because the employees are always checking in (because they work there), and are sort of impossible to beat if you are just a customer.

From Foursquare:

What is a foursquare “mayor”?

Foursquare mayorships are awarded to your customers with the most days checked into your venue over the last 60 days. The mayor will always be visible on your foursquare venue page as well as on all the mobile clients (good for special verification/redemption). This title is up for grabs for customers that visit you often, but is not achievable by employees, owners, or manager. You can provide rewards to those crowned in the specials management section, once your venue has been claimed.

This doesn’t agree with the response that a Starbucks Gossip reader got from Starbucks. In it, the company claimed that Foursquare mayorhood was open to anyone.

So much drama for a coupon! Granted, it’s not a horrible coupon. We do not, however, blame Starbucks for not wanting to mess around with policing foursquare.

foursquare help [foursquare]

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