It’s perhaps one of the more complicated birthday freebies on this list, but it is also one of the most rewarding. Dig into the FAQs for all the details, but the tl;dr is that customers pay $25 for membership (there’s no annual fee), then receive both a $25 welcome reward and a $25 birthday reward for their efforts. Redeem them at any Landry’s Select Club restaurant, including Morton’s, Bubba Gump, Chart House, Skates in Berkeley, and McCormick and Kuleto’s at Ghirardelli Square.

Getting a freebie from SusieCakes will require a download of the bakery’s app, but partaking in the rewards program earns customers a free slice of cake on their birthday — which is nothing to sneer at given the sheer variety of cake flavors that SusieCakes makes.

Sure, there has been recent news about Starbucks’s changes to its rewards program, but the fact remains that by signing up for the program you’re still eligible for a free “handcrafted beverage,” food, or a “ready-to-drink bottled beverage” on your birthday. If you’re heading to a Starbucks to collect your treat, might as well do it up big at one of the city’s more picturesque locations in the Presidio (just steps away from the Yoda statue). If you’re downtown, there’s also the Starbucks Reserve at 201 Mission Street.

If you’re a fan of Benihana’s showmanship, then it might be worth signing up for the chain’s rewards program, dubbed the Chef’s Table. After signing up, Benihana will send a complimentary $30 birthday certificate for use at the restaurant with ID during your birthday month. There are a few tricky details to note, such as the certificate must be printed and that it only discounts qualifying food items up to $30, but honestly you’ll be hard-pressed to find another spot that does an onion volcano as well as Benihana.

The Lemonade chain is (perhaps on purpose?) vague about their birthday freebies, but the rewards page does promise free food after you sign up on the website or download the app. But if you enjoy Lemonade’s poke bar, salads, hot food, or drinks, you most likely won’t hate whatever free item comes your way. And besides the downtown location, there’s a second Lemonade out in West Portal, as well.

If you consider yourself a fan of Ben & Jerry’s flavors, perhaps it’s time you make it official and become a Flavor Fanatic — in return you’ll get a “cone-gratulatory surprise on your birthday.” There are a few Ben & Jerry’s locations in the city, but if you really want to do it right head down to one of the city’s most famous corners at Haight and Ashbury.

Goat Hill Pizza is perhaps the only local business on this list, and while it’s worth patronizing the other 364 days of the year that isn’t your birthday, this business does take care of customers signed up for its Goat Hill Rewards program. There is the promise of a free birthday pizza (with restrictions, natch) and in case you doubted the sincerity of the program, a convincing “No Kidding!!!” is included on the signup page as reassurance.