When it comes to pancakes, IHOP is hard to beat. Between IHOPPY Hour and the IHOP Senior menu, there are so many ways to get free pancakes from IHOP. And don’t miss their yearly celebration of National Pancake Day in February, when guests can get a free short stack of Buttermilk Pancakes. Skip to Tip #10 to get all the details for that freebie!
Grab your syrup and work up an appetite; we’ll tell you all about IHOP coupons, receipt survey freebies, all-you-can-eat pancakes, and how to consistently get freebies at IHOP.
Here are some of the best ways you can save the next time you’re craving IHOP pancakes.
1. Get a free IHOP pancake coupon when you sign up for MyHOP.
You’ll get free IHOP pancakes immediately when you sign up for the free MyHOP rewards program. Your unique coupon code will be sent right to your email.
Related: Did you know you can get IHOP coffee at the grocery store now?
2. Get a free stack of pancakes for your birthday and on your sign-up anniversary.
When you sign up for MyHOP, be sure to include your birthday to get an IHOP birthday coupon good for another free stack of pancakes. You’ll also get a coupon for your anniversary of signing up for MyHOP.
Related: 36 Best Restaurant & Food Apps with Free Food Coupons
3. Reuse your IHOP sign-up coupon for free pancakes for two weeks.
Any coupons you get from MyHOP expire two weeks after they’re issued — and they don’t have a barcode or anything that would indicate you’ve already used it — so you could use them every day for two weeks.
Your mileage may vary with this one, but if you ask nicely, your server may accept your free pancake coupon by looking at it on your phone instead of taking a printed coupon. But it’s all dependent on how willing your location is to redeem a coupon that’s not printed.
This works for the MyHOP member coupon, the birthday coupon, and your anniversary coupon (given every year on the day you signed up for MyHOP). Do what you want with that information.
4. Don’t want a stack of pancakes? Redeem your free IHOP pancake coupon as $4.99 off your order instead.
If you hate pancakes, first of all, why are you at IHOP? But if you’re not in the mood for pancakes, find out if you can apply the savings to your order instead of getting free pancakes at IHOP. This will depend on how willing your server is, so make sure to ask before ordering your food.
I got $4.99 off my $8.99 meal instead of the free stack of pancakes to see if it worked. Your server will redeem it based on the value of a stack of pancakes at your location.
5. Take the survey on your receipt, and get a free stack of pancakes every visit.
Receipt survey offers rotate; it could be a free coffee, juice, or even pancakes!
The IHOP online survey takes three minutes or so, and at the end, you’ll get a code you need to write on your receipt when you redeem it for free pancakes on your next visit.
Note that the coupon isn’t valid on your current meal. Also, you need to take the survey within three days and then redeem your coupon within 30 days.
If your receipt doesn’t have a code for the survey, call the corporate number (1-866-444-5144) and they’ll be able to get you your coupon.
6. The best time to eat at IHOP is during IHOPPY Hour for more than a 30% discount.
IHOPPY Hour happens every day from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. A lot of their regular items are only $6 (or even $5 at some locations) with a few of their items (French Toast, Mozzarella Sticks, and the Fries & Onion Rings) being $4.
The best deal we found on the IHOPPY Hour menu is the “Quick 2-Egg Breakfast,” which includes two eggs, hashbrowns, two pieces of bacon or sausage links, and toast, for only $6 (reg. $9.79).
Here’s a list of items that you can get from the IHOPPY Hour menu with their regular prices:
- French Toast: $4, reg. $8.99 (56% savings)
- Mozzarella Sticks: $4, reg. $8.99 (56% savings)
- Ham & Cheese Omelet: $6, reg. $11.28 (47% savings)
- Quick 2-Egg Breakfast: $6, reg. $9.79 (39% savings)
- Fries & Onion Rings: $4, reg. $6.48 (39% savings)
- Classic Steakburger: $6, reg. $9.49 (37% savings)
- Crispy Chicken Sandwich: $6, reg. $9.49 (37% savings)
- Breakfast Burrito/Bowl: $6, reg. $8.99 (33% savings)
- BLT Sandwich: $6, reg. $7.49 (20% savings)
7. Kids eat free at many locations from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. every day.
Your mileage may vary on this one, but a number of IHOP locations offer Kids Eat Free specials every day. At those restaurants, kids 12 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult entree.
We called several IHOP locations and found that about half of them offered Kids Eat Free, and half didn’t — so you’ll need to call the IHOP near you before you head out to make sure they’ve got the freebie.
IHOP is just one of many kids eat free restaurants we’ve found.
8. Get 20% off your first ‘IHOP ‘n Go’ order through the website or app.
Wanna save a quick 20% at IHOP? Order through the IHOP app or order online, and you’ll get 20% off your first order when you enter the code IHOP20ALL.
Now, we did try and see if this coupon would work on a second order, and we were able to get 20% off that as well. Do what you will with that information.
9. IHOP craft burgers rival Red Robin’s and are at least 20% cheaper.
*IHOP/Red Robin burger*
I’m not saying IHOP is a true threat to Red Robin, but when IHOP is offering a Black Angus bacon cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato for $9.99 — compared to Red Robin’s $12.99 regular ground beef version — Red Robin customers might notice.
All of IHOP’s Steakburgers are made from Black Angus beef. Save 20-28% on a burger with the same type of meat when you hit IHOP over Red Robin. In fact, the only thing you might miss is Red Robin’s bottomless fries.
If you’re looking for more ways to save on craft burgers, we have several tips and tricks to get you cheap or free burgers at Red Robin.
10. Get free pancakes on National Pancake Day.
Just walk in and get one free short stack (three pancakes) per customer for National Pancake Day when IHOP celebrates National Pancake Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Consider donating, though, because all proceeds that day go to Children’s Miracle Network, Shriner’s, or the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
For the first time in 2023, IHOP Rewards members get 2x PanCoins, with any additional menu items purchased.
National Pancake Day changes every year, so make sure to keep track of the KCL app to find out when they will drop it next year.
11. When IHOP offers All You Can Eat Pancakes, jump on it.
IHOP runs limited-time promotions, like IHOP’s unlimited pancakes, usually around National Pancake Day. Here’s what they’ve done in the past:
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- Feb. 2018: All You Can Eat (AYCE) Pancakes for $3.99
- Jan. 2019: AYCE Pancakes with purchase of a breakfast combo for $9.29
- Jan. 2020: AYCE Pancakes with purchase of a 2 x 2 x 2 for $4.99
- March 2020: AYCE Pancakes with purchase of a breakfast combo for $9.29
- March 2021: AYCE Pancakes with purchase of a breakfast combo for $9.29
- Feb. 2022: AYCE Pancakes for $5.99
Each short stack (3 pancakes) costs $7.29, so hop on these deals when you can.
Related: How to Get Free Food at Restaurants
12. Celebrate IHOP’s birthday with nearly free pancakes ($0.60 each).
Every year, IHOP celebrates their birthday in mid-July by giving customers a huge discount on their short stack (3) pancakes. From what we’ve seen, the price doesn’t go any higher than $0.60, so that’s around 90% off the regular price of their pancakes. You can only get one short stack per guest, and you can’t combine this deal with any other deal.
The date changes from year to year, but they usually give customers a heads-up about a week before it happens — so keep tabs on the KCL IHOP page to find out when this deal will happen again.
13. Check out the ‘IHOP Specials’ page to know which IHOP deals are available.
The IHOP Specials page will show you all the current IHOP deals such as AYCE pancakes and free delivery deals. Plus, they’ll even give you details that they won’t tell you in store.
For example, when I went in to get AYCE pancakes, the waiter brought me a menu that required me to buy a combo, but because I read the deal online, I knew that I could just buy the pancakes for $2 cheaper.
14. Get another 18% off by paying with a discounted gift card from Raise.com.
Restaurants tend to have the best savings when it comes to discounted gift cards. IHOP rolls in at 18.4% savings — definitely worth it.
You can get an e-gift card from Raise.com while you’re eating your meal and use it to pay once you polish off your pancakes.
You can also get a 5% discount on IHOP gift cards when you buy them from Target using your Target RedCard. The 5% discount on all gift cards is just one of the many benefits of having a Target RedCard.
IHOP and Applebee’s are owned by the same company, but their gift cards aren’t interchangeable. But if you’re interested in saving money at Applebee’s, we can help you there, too.
15. Save 76% per pancake when you order from Denny’s.
Two pancakes at Denny’s only cost $2, which makes them just $1 per pancake. At IHOP, a stack of five pancakes will set you back $8.79, making each pancake cost $1.76. That means you’ll save $0.76 per pancake by going to Denny’s instead of IHOP. And you don’t even have to buy as many pancakes to save money.
And that’s just one of the surprising ways you can save at Denny’s.
16. Speaking of Denny’s, you’ll want to work there instead of IHOP if you want benefits like insurance.
IHOP’s employee benefits consist of $6 off a meal on your shift (not too bad), and the chance to try out new menu items.
But compared to Denny’s full-time employee benefits — like health, dental, vision, and life insurance, along with 401(k) options — IHOP can’t compete.
If you’re in the market for a comparable pancake-centered restaurant job, inquire at Denny’s first!
17. Getting an omelet or scrambled eggs? Ask IHOP to use real eggs.
It’s true: IHOP uses powdered or liquid eggs to make scrambled eggs and omelets. But if you ask for real eggs, they’ll be happy to make your meal that way instead for no extra charge.
Related: Get the Best Food Coupons
18. Ask your server to warm up the maple syrup for you.
Because perfect pancakes are ruined by cold syrup. You can ask your server to warm up any of your syrups.
19. Order an onion and french fry omelet from the IHOP secret menu.
It will taste like a hash brown omelet, but more potatoes never hurt anyone. This is the only IHOP secret menu item. No ceviche, macarons, or tartare… No matter what anyone else tells you.
20. Create your own specialty drinks by using IHOP syrups.
An easy way to get a free drink is to add some strawberry syrup and five packets of sugar to your water. That way, you’ll get a free strawberry drink by using the complimentary stuff they give you at the table.
We’ve seen lots of people do this on TikTok, so we had to try it. It was sweet, but not bad!
Also, try putting some maple syrup in your coffee. It’ll give your coffee a nice maple flavor without costing you any more than the $2.69 price of a cup of joe.
21. Order IHOP delivery through UberEats (it’s cheaper than DoorDash).
In my area, DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats all deliver IHOP. Since Uber Eats is about $1.00 cheaper, I usually order through them.
If you’re looking for more ways to save with DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Grubhub, we know all the ways to get consistent discounts and free delivery.
Also: MyHOP members get promo codes in their email inbox all the time for free delivery. Never pay for IHOP delivery!
22. Place your DoorDash order with Ibotta to get 10% back on your IHOP spend.
When you open Ibotta and navigate to DoorDash in app, you’ll see a coupon for 5% off all DoorDash orders. Tap on that offer to place your IHOP order, and you’ll get 5% cash back before taxes and fees.
The money will appear in your Ibotta account within about 24 hours.
That 5% back will help cover the $2.99 delivery fee and completely justify getting pancakes delivered to your door.
If you’re confused, don’t worry; KCL has all the ways you can save while using Ibotta.
23. Or get free pickup if you’re willing to drive to the restaurant.
You can always just pick up your order for free and skip DoorDash and Ibotta. Just place your order at IHOP online or through the IHOP app.
24. Order online if you want to get something off the Kids Menu.
Normally, Kids Menu items are only for kids 12 and under. But when you order online, there’s no age restriction, so you can go ahead and order the Silver 5 meal (5 silver dollar pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a piece of bacon) for only $4.99. Compare this with the short stack (3 pancakes) for $7.29, and you’ve got yourself a good-sized breakfast for cheap.
25. IHOP take-out containers are awesome — hang on to them.
IHOP containers are special because they have two compartments with multiple lid configurations that keep different menu items separate. They’re smarter than most food storage containers I have in my home, so I keep them around as long as I can.
Just be sure to ask for the whole container. If you ask for a take-out container and don’t specify that you want each part, they’ll often just give you two out of three parts.
26. Make your own pancakes at home using the IHOP pancakes recipe.
If you can’t find a coupon for free pancakes, just make your own at home using this recipe we found.
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
Stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix egg and buttermilk and add them to the flour mixture, stirring just until smooth. Add melted butter and sugar. Fry on a greased griddle. Serves four.
27. Best value on the IHOP senior menu is the Breakfast Sampler.
The 55+ menu is small, but there is a meal you should always order if you’re at least 55 years young.
On the regular menu, the Breakfast Sampler is $11.99, but it’s only $7.99 when you order from the 55+ menu.
If you didn’t want the Breakfast Sampler, there’s always the 2 x 2 x 2 meal which includes two eggs, two slices of bacon or two sausage links, and two pancakes. It’s $9.29 on the regular menu, but it’s only $7.69 on the 55+ menu.
28. The IHOP Senior Discount is 10% off everything on the menu if you’re 55+.
If the six options on the 55+ menu aren’t doing it for you, just ask for a 10% discount on a regular menu item.
29. Kids get a free “Scary Face” Pancake or a “Mr. Mummy” Pancake around Halloween.
IHOP’s “Scary Face” pancakes usually consist of two pancakes, a candy corn smile, and Oreo eyes. We’ve also seen some years where IHOP has given out “Mr. Mummy” pancakes, which consist of green pancakes with cream cheese frosting, banana slices, frosting, and chocolate chips.
You can get more than candy on Halloween. Check out all the ways you can get free food on Halloween.
30. All veterans get a free stack of red, white, and blue pancakes for Veterans Day.
You just need to show your Military ID, DD214, or be wearing your uniform to get the free meal.
Hit IHOP on Veterans Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a free stack of red, white, and blue pancakes (strawberries, blueberries, and whipped topping).
If Veterans Day is on a Saturday, IHOP will offer this deal the Friday before. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, get your pancakes the Monday after.
This is just one of the many military discounts you can get if you have served.
31. Order off the IHOP gluten-free menu if you’re avoiding gluten.
If you’re avoiding gluten but still need your pancake fix, check out the IHOP gluten-free menu. They have gluten-free pancakes (reg. $5.49 for 3 and $9.99 for 5) and waffles (reg. $9.99) as well as eight gluten-free sides that you can enjoy.
Gluten-free pancakes and waffles aren’t available at every IHOP, so be sure to call your local IHOP to confirm if they are still available.
32. Ask for your burger without a bun, and sub out fries for salad to keep it low carb.
Low carb, Keto, Paleo — whatever you call it, you can lower your calorie intake by ditching the bun and fries. No extra charge.
33. The healthiest meal on the menu is the Egg White Veggie Omelet.
Did you know if you opt for egg whites, you’ll subtract 25-70 calories per egg? Same with bacon; if you opt for turkey bacon, you can save yourself 10 calories per slice.
The Egg White Veggie Omelet is only 380 calories, even less than a grilled chicken salad.
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