When it comes to pancakes, IHOP is hard to beat. Between the Bank of Pancakes Rewards program, IHOPPY Hour, receipt surveys, and the IHOP kids' 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 about IHOP rewards, receipt survey freebies, all-you-can-eat pancakes, and how to consistently get free pancakes at IHOP.
Download The Krazy Coupon Lady or text HACKS to 57299 for more money-saving tips and deals.
How to Get FREE Pancakes at IHOP
1. Earn 5 PanCoins when you join the Bank of Pancakes Rewards program.
IHOP's free loyalty program is called the Bank of Pancakes. You can earn PanCoins (one for every $5 spent) on your purchases and trade them for food items. To get you started, IHOP offers new rewards members five free PanCoins when you sign up for the Bank of Pancakes Rewards program and make your first purchase.
FYI, five PanCoins is redeemable for a full stack (five buttermilk pancakes).
Other PanCoin pancake redemption options:
3 PanCoins = short stack (three buttermilk pancakes)
20 PanCoins = any flavor full stack
2. Get a free stack of pancakes for your birthday.
When you sign up for the Bank of Pancakes loyalty program, be sure to include your birthday to get five PanCoins for another free stack of pancakes.
3. 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 about five minutes, 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 of your purchase and then redeem your coupon within 30 days.
4. Eat during IHOPPY Hour for 57% - 60% off.
IHOPPY Hour happens every day from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. We found a couple of pancake deals that are hard to pass up for brinner:
Ham & cheese omelette + a short stack of pancakes, $6 (reg. $10.49), 57% savings
Chicken strips (four) + a short stack of pancakes, $6 (reg $15.43), 60% savings
5. Kids eat free at many locations from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. every day.
Your mileage may vary on this one, but some 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. Be sure to call the IHOP near you before you head out to verify they participate.
IHOP is just one of many kids eat free restaurants.
6. 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 IHOP20.
Now, we tried this coupon on a second order, and we were able to get 20% off that as well. Do what you will with that information.
7. 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. Everyone can enjoy the free pancakes, even non-rewards members. No purchase necessary.
However, consider making a donation, 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.
Although the date for National Pancake Day changes every year, you can stay on top of this deal through the KCL app. Here's a look at when the last IHOP National Pancake Day took place over the last few years.
Tuesday, Feb 13, 2024
Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Cancelled in 2021
Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020
8. When IHOP offers All-You-Can-Eat Pancakes, jump on it.
IHOP offers AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) pancakes occasionally. This is your chance to stuff yourself with pancakes and save $1.50 over the regular price of $6.49 for a short stack. Unfortunately, there's no way to predict when these offers happen. As you can see, the deals and dates have changed over the last few years.
Aug. 2023: AYCE pancakes for $5
Feb. 2022: AYCE pancakes for $5.99
March 2021: AYCE pancakes with purchase of a breakfast combo for $9.29
March 2020: 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
Related: How to Get Free Food at Restaurants
9. Save up to 20% when you pay with a discounted gift card from Raise.com.
Restaurants have the best savings when it comes to discounted gift cards. IHOP rolls in at 17.7% 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.
Another way to save is to buy IHOP gift cards for 20% off during Amazon Prime Day or Amazon Black Friday sales. These are available while supplies last. So if you see them on sale, grab one (or more) fast!
You can also get a 5% discount on IHOP gift cards when you buy them from Target using your Target Circle Card.
KCL TIP: 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.
10. Order online if you want to get pancakes 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 order the Silver 5 meal (5 silver dollar pancakes, scrambled eggs, and a piece of bacon) for only $6.99.
Compare this with the short stack (3 pancakes) for $6.49, and you’ve got yourself a good-sized breakfast for cheap. We're talking only $0.50 more for two extra pancakes, a scrambled egg, and a slice of bacon.
11. Kids get a free “Scary Face” Pancake or a “Mr. Mummy” Pancake around Halloween.
During the week of Halloween (Oct. 24 - 31), kids 12 and under can get a FREE IHOP Scary Face pancake with a candy corn smile, strawberry nose, whipped cream mouth and Oreo Cookie eyes. To get this free pancake deal, you must purchase any adult entree.
KCL TIP: You can get more than candy on Halloween. Check out all the ways you can get free food on Halloween.
12. All veterans get a free stack of red, white, and blue pancakes for Veterans Day.
If you're an active military member or a veteran, you can hit IHOP on Veterans Day (Nov. 11, 2024) 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.
You just need to show your Military ID, DD214, or be wearing your uniform to get the free meal.
This is just one of the many military discounts you can get if you've served.
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