The Best Fast-Food Reward Programs To Sign Up For
Find the best fast-food reward program perfectly suited to you.
This article is more than 2 years old
In an economy plagued by inflation, we could all stand to save a little money. Prices for everything, especially food, have seen measurable increases in recent months. And all signs point to the fact that those increases likely won’t be subsiding anytime soon. Instead, they will continue to rise. For those whose budgets have been completely derailed because of circumstances that are out of your control, it could leave little wiggle room for recreational spending. With as many as 64% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, even something as simple as getting takeout from your local fast-food joint may not be an option. Luckily though, some fast-food establishments make it really worth your while if you opt into their rewards programs. In the long run, a well-structured fast-food rewards program can help to save you a considerable amount of money.
Participating in a fast-food rewards program designed to reward its patrons well is certainly an advantageous decision. However, virtually every restaurant you can think of has its own rewards program. Shuffling through all of them to determine where your money is best spent is quite the undertaking. Thus to make your life a little easier and to help your money go a little farther, we did all the discovery work for you and narrowed down the best fast-food reward programs to enroll in now.
Note: All the programs below are free to join.
MCDONALD’S
Why It’s The Best – Leave it to the king of all fast food to offer a rewards program done right. McDonald’s Rewards is a program that not only makes it quick and easy for you to rack up points but also to claim and enjoy your perk of choice. To sign up all you have to do is simply download the McDonald’s app and register. Once registered, you can begin racking up points. For every dollar you spend via the app, you’ll earn 100 points. The more points you earn the more rewards that will unlock.
McDonald’s uses a tiered point system for its fast-food rewards program. Rewards will be unlocked at 1500 points, 3000 points, 4500 points, and finally 6000 points. At the lowest tier, you’ll be able to redeem your points for items like hash browns, ice cream cones, or a cheeseburger. At the highest tier, you can score a Big Mac or a Happy Meal. And at $1 for every 100 points, you’ll be surprised how quickly your points add up. The only downside to the McDonald’s rewards program is that you can only redeem one item per order even if you have more points to spend. Overall though, it’s a rewards program worth taking advantage of.
BURGER KING
Why It’s The Best – Similar to McDonald’s, Burger King also uses a tiered point system for its fast-food reward program. However, unlike McDonald’s, virtually every item on Burger King’s menu is assigned a point value. Instead of being limited to a few items the chain is offering you, you can save up to score any and all of your favorite Burger King food for free.
For every $1 you spend at Burger King, with Royal Perks you earn 10 crowns. When you earn 250 crowns you can begin redeeming food items. For 250 crowns you can get things like cheeseburgers, value fries or onion rings, soft drinks, or 4-piece order of chicken nuggets. The more crowns you earn the better items you’ll be able to redeem. For instance, at 1400 crowns you can a free Double Whopper with Cheese.
Another nice thing about Burger King’s Royal Perks is that you are not limited to redeeming just one item per order. Your points are yours to use and are not locked after you choose one item. Other nice perks include earning double crowns for your entire birthday month, and free upsizes for fries or drinks once per day. To get started just download the Burger King app.
DUNKIN’
Why It’s The Best – Like the others, Dunkin’s fast-food rewards program works via a point system that you participate in through the Dunkin’ app. With Dunkin’ you’ll earn 5 points for every dollar you spend. When you accrue 200 points, you can then use those points to obtain a free beverage of choice. You can get started by downloading the Dunkin’ app.
Dunkin’s DDPerks rewards program works well and you’ll definitely earn points pretty fast depending on what you typically purchase. However, there are two downsides. First, you can only redeem points for a free beverage. It doesn’t apply to food items. Second, even if you’ve earned enough points for more than one free beverage, you can only redeem one per order. Still, if you largely go to Dunkin’ for their coffee or other beverages this program is more than worth participating in. Also, Dunkin’ frequently hosts promotions for their food items, so even though you can’t use your points on food, you can still save money by leveraging whatever current promotion they are offering.
DOMINO’S
Why It’s The Best – If you are a pizza lover, then Domino’s Piece of The Pie rewards is definitely worth signing up for. With this fast-food rewards program, for every $10 you spend you’ll earn a slice towards a free medium one-topping pizza. When you earn 6 slices you’ll be able to claim your free pie.
While the free pie alone might be enough to persuade you to join Domino’s fast-food reward program, the fast-food joint itself offers a ton of perks to save you additional money. Presently, they are running a promotion where patrons get a $3 reward for simply picking up their own food instead of getting it delivered. Also, there are tons of package deals at participating locations. For instance, $19.99 for 2 pizzas, a 2-liter bottle of soda, 16-piece parmesan bread bites, and 8 cinnamon twists. Or the option to get any 2 or more medium 2-topping pizzas for $5.99 each. Deals are a plenty at Domino’s.
CHIPOTLE
Why It’s The Best – Chipotle has a rewards program to compete with the best of them. It’s simple to sign up, just download the app to get started. As a welcome bonus, you’ll get a free order of chips and guacamole with your first order as a rewards member. Then, you’ll earn 10 points for every dollar you spend via the app. Every food item is assigned a points value. For instance, you can redeem free chips and queso for 700 points. Other nice perks include a birthday reward, extra points when you earn loyalty badges, and first dibs on new menu items.
What’s also nice about Chipotle’s rewards system is that they don’t just limit it to food. Members can also choose to redeem their points for Chipotle merchandise. However, what’s really different, is that you can also opt to use your points to donate to charities that Chipotle partners with.
THE CONCLUSION
Signing up for well-structured fast-food rewards programs certainly has its advantages. Over time the money you’ll save will add up. The best part, though, is that you’ll be rewarded with some of your favorite food. Who can say no to that?
