MyMcDonald’s Rewards: A Value Meal… or Just a Side of Points?
McDonald’s has been slinging fries since 1940. But their loyalty program, MyMcDonald, launched in the US in 2021, exciting children and adults whose lifelong wish of free fries and happy meals was finally coming true. But is this program a full meal deal or skinnier than the fries? We ran the McMath to figure it out.
Photo credit: Shutterstock
How you earn:
McDonald’s is known for simple and fast food. Thankfully their program follows the same ethos with straightforward point earnings that accumulate quickly.
100 points per $1 spent on just about every item.
You must have the McD app to be a part of the program and scan it or provide a 4-digit code found in the app.
Points earned on delivery as long as it’s through the McD app.
McDonald’s frequently runs program-exclusive bonus point promos and discounts, which can help you rack up points and savings faster than you can say “McDouble”.
When this author joined, McDonald’s was offering 1500 bonus points when you placed your first mobile order, which is extremely generous.
How you Redeem:
Points accumulate in your account until they expire (more on that later) or you convert them to a food reward.
😃First, the good news…
Rewards start at just 1,500 points ($15 in purchases to earn), which means that after one typical visit, you can walk away with a freebie.
Rewards work on mobile orders, in-restaurant, at the drive-thru or on McDelivery via the app.
😡Now, for the bad news…
· There are only 16 items on the reward menu as of this writing. McDonald’s has ~100 items (if you count variations, sizes, and value meals) meaning way less than 20% of their menu is available as a freebie. That’s sadder than finding out your parents swapped your fries for an apple.
· You can only redeem ONE award per transaction. So no redeeming for a free cheeseburger and fries, you have to pick one or the other. This restriction is similar to Chipotle and Cava and unfortunately a very bad trend in restaurant loyalty programs.
To pile on to the bad news part of this burger, your points expire 6 months after earning despite your activity in the program. So no hoarding MyMcDonald’s points. Like their fries, they are meant to be consumed right away.
What’s the value?
(Note: by “return value” we mean how much are you save relative to how much you had to spend to earn it. For example, if you spent $100 to earn enough points to redeem $10, that’s a 10% return value).
This is where we start to put our Ronald McDonald smile on (even though it’s creepy, right?)
Now McDonald’s prices vary across the country but by our calculation we see Reward Values ranging between 9% and 20%+, making this is one of the strongest ROI programs in fast food—on the items that qualify, anyway.
Here’s an example:
Visit once, spend $15, earn 1,500 points.
Redeem a reward immediately among 4 available items
Rinse, repeat, and you’ve got a cycle of steady, high-value savings (as long as you’re happy with the small redemption menu).
That said, the limited catalog means if you’re craving something fancy (or a full meal), you’ll have to pay up or settle for what’s available. You also can’t combine multiple rewards, which restricts your ability to build a full meal without dipping into your wallet.
🕵️♂️ THE Fine Print
A mix bag here…
Points expire after 6 months of inactivity. Use ’em or lose ’em. Casual users, beware.
One reward per order. Still annoying.
No points for third-party delivery services (Uber Eats, DoorDash, etc.), but you do earn through McDelivery in the McD’s app.
You can stack a reward with a promotional offer, which is a small but sweet win.
Must be 18 to join the program. C’mon McD, show the kids some love!
OUR VERDICT:
We’re officially bumping this one into the Rewarded category—by the width of a French fry.
Here’s why:
Fast earning and instant redemptions
High return values (11–20%+ is chef’s kiss)
Frequent bonus promos and discounts
But we can’t give it full MVP status:
The redemption menu is tiny compared to their full offerings
No reward stacking
Points expire too quickly for the occasional nugget run
However, even if you are a casual McD visitor, the sheer # of promotions and discounts in the app, combined with quick redemption make this a winner.
Rewarded or Robbed?
⭐ Rewarded! 🍟
Leave us a comment! Do you agree or disagree? Any further tips about MyMcDonalds?
