5 Ways To Save Money On McDonald's Orders With The App

As a staple of American culture for decades, McDonald's has captured customers young and old with its iconic menu items, bright colors, and catchy slogans. But the famous fast-food chain has also offered meals at affordable prices, a practice that has continued in the 21st Century with the McDonald's app. The app is far from perfect, with customers often noting its finicky features and varied pricing.

At its heart, the main purpose of the app is to earn points with each purchase and then track those points, which can add up and then be used for food and drink rewards. But among the many ways of saving money at McDonald's, the app is one of the easiest and most useful. At best, the app is a helpful way to save money, and at worst, it is a necessary evil for fast ordering. Nonetheless, there are many ways customers can save money through the app, including a few that require little or no up-front money at all.

Love them or hate them, apps are everywhere, and they are integral to the way people order food. It may sound obvious, but customers can't save money on the McDonald's app if they don't join. It takes a few minutes to download and enter your information, and then you're home free. The good news? Companies like McDonald's love when you join their app and give you free rewards right away.

As of this writing, McDonald's offers its new app users a free McCrispy sandwich with a minimum $1 purchase. On its own, the McCrispy runs about $4.99 (prices vary by location), so customers can save a considerable amount from the get-go. A small order of fries and a small soft drink runs just over $4 on the app, so a new app user can snag a full meal for less than $5, rather than paying almost $10 for a full McCrispy meal.

These days, it's hard to find a food chain without a birthday rewards program. They've proven so popular that many food enthusiasts spend their birthday going from place to place, sipping on free coffee or snacking on free sweets. McDonald's is no exception. It currently offers app users a free order of medium fries on their birthday. App users who have entered their birthday should find the offer in the Deals section of the app.

Customers with this offer won't save a ton of money — a medium fry is just $3.49 on the app — but it's a birthday freebie nonetheless. It's important to note that this offer applies only to the order of fries and can't be used toward the purchase of a value meal. At the very least, a birthday order of fresh McDonald's fries can be a light snack during a fun day or an appetizer for a birthday dinner later on.

Variety is the spice of life, and one of the most fun ways to save money at the golden arches is to get creative with the menu. With fast food hacks galore, a value menu, and the ability to mix and match items, customers have no shortage of options at their fingertips. Perhaps the easiest way to save money is by ordering from the McValue menu.

McDonald's Buy One, Add One for $1 menu includes the double cheeseburger, the McChicken, a 6-piece Chicken McNuggets, and a small fry, which are options that range from $2.39 to $3.59. This gives customers a chance to mix and match a pair of classic McDonald's items for less than a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Likewise, McDonald's $5 Meal Deals offer a lot of food at a favorable price point — the items included retail for around $10 when combined without the deal.

For those who make regular use of the McDonald's app, another way to save money is by paying attention to daily deals or exclusives offered therein. These are often deals that customers won't find by ordering at the counter, and taking advantage of them is easy. With the app, customers can order ahead and pick up their order in the drive-thru or use an in-store kiosk to get exclusive deals.

The specific exclusive deals can vary by location, so potential savings on app-only deals vary, but common daily deals have included a free large fry with a minimum $1 purchase and a free medium fry on Fridays, also with a $1 minimum purchase. During the 2024 holiday season, the chain offered an app-only 14 Days of $1 deals promotion, offering customers the chance to enjoy breakfast items, classic items, and seasonal favorites at reduced prices. It's worth noting that those who turn on notifications for the app and use it regularly are likely to get updates about the latest deals in their area.

It's not exactly the fastest or easiest way to save money at McDonald's, but the MyRewards program does reward customers as they spend more money. Customers typically earn 100 points for every dollar they spend, and those points can be redeemed for free rewards. On the low end of the reward spectrum, customers can get simple items like a cheeseburger or a McChicken, and on the high end, the rewards include a Big Mac and a Happy Meal. And if you're not sure which burger to choose, we ranked them for you.

For whatever foibles the McDonald's app may have, it rewards customers for their loyalty. Additionally, some deals can be redeemed for double points, helping customers reach different reward tiers faster. And of course, app users can use some of the above-mentioned tips to save money and earn points at the same time. By keeping an eye on their point total, customers can snag deals on some of their favorite items while being rewarded for their loyalty.