Tim Hortons does fill travel mugs.
But, as always, it is not quite that simple.
Just as we had to when answering this question for Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and McDonald’s, we need to do a bit more explaining.
In this case, there does seem to be an overarching corporate policy, but it is not consistently applied. According to a Tim Hortons representative, it is a training issue. They simply need to train their employees better on this issue, so that they are consistent in their policy across locations.
Until then, getting your travel mug filled will not always be the same from one branch to another.
Will Tim Hortons Fill My Travel Mug And Do I Get A Discount?
The general corporate policy is that any Tim Hortons will fill your travel mug and give you a 10 cent discount over the regular price. The regular price is the same size coffee as your mug. So if your mug holds 20 ounces, you’d pay for a large, which is also 20 ounces.
Some branches will make your coffee in one of their standard disposable cups and then pour it into you tumbler. There are 2 main reasons for this.
One is that it is easier for them to measure out the correct amount of coffee in their standard cup, especially if it is not clear what size your tumbler actually is. And when making a drink that requires exact amounts of different ingredients, it makes it possible to adhere to the standard ratios.
The other is efficiency, which comes into play in the drive-thru. Rather than wait for you to get to the window with your cup to begin making the coffee, which would hold up the entire line, they prefer to make your coffee in advance and then pour it into your cup.
Obviously this all defeats the main purpose of using a reusable mug. You still end up wasting a disposable cup. That is why the corporate policy is to make the coffee directly in your personal tumbler, but obviously more training needs to happen for this to be adopted at every location.
Can I Use My Own Tumbler At Tim Hortons?
Yes, you can use any travel mug you like. You do not need to buy one of the Tim Horton branded mugs available on their site, though you certainly can.
Among those, I recommend the ceramic one, although I’d get my own funny ceramic travel mug over getting one of theirs. I always prefer something more personal (and hilarious) to having a coffee chain branded cup.