McDonald’s is everywhere, and whether you’re a huge fan or an occasional patron, there are lots of ways to hack the McDonald’s menu to save money. Spending less at McDonald’s is way bigger than just ordering from the McDonald’s dollar menu.
You can literally get a McDonald’s deal on every single order you make, while racking up rewards points for freebies and more McDonald’s coupons. We’ll show you how to get all the McDonald’s food deals and discounts.
But first, grab the Krazy Coupon Lady app and check out our McDonald’s coupons for the best money-saving tips and freebies.
Offers, prices, and local participation may vary.
Get $1 in-app exclusive deals.
McDonald's is offering $1 in-app exclusive deals throughout December. So far we've seen $1 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, $1 medium McCafe Frappe, even a $1 four-piece Chicken McNuggets Happy Meal. Note your deals may vary.
Score freebies with the McValue Menu, coming Jan. 7, 2025.
McDonald's is launching their new McValue Menu on Jan. 7, 2025. This new value menu will include in-app offers, local deals, and Buy One, Add One for $1 deals on items such as the Sausage McMuffin, Sausage Burrito, Sausage Biscuit, Double Cheeseburger, 6-piece Chicken McNuggets, and the McChicken.
McDonald's recently announced they'll also continue to offer their $5 Meal Deal through the summer of 2025.
Save up to 59% with the limited-time $5 Meal Deal.
McDonald's $5 Meal Deal (includes a McChicken or McDouble, a 4-piece nuggets, a small fries, and a small drink) is still available and can save you 28% - 59% compared to regular menu prices. Although this $5 meal deal isn't expected to stick around forever, right now you can see where in the U.S. it offers the most and the least savings.
1. Get the McDonald’s app for freebies and special deals.
This is where you get a discount. Every. Single. Order.
The free McDonald’s app lets you place a pickup or delivery order, but most importantly, it gives you all the current McDonald’s coupons that can be scanned right from your phone.
Get an order of free large fries (reg $3.99) when you download the app and make any purchase of $1 or more. New offers and freebies are added regularly and are constantly changing and can vary by account; here are some menu specials we’ve seen in the deals section of the app:
$1 bagel sandwich (reg $5.29+)
$2 breakfast sandwich (reg $4.39)
Free Happy Meal (reg $5.39) when you purchase a combo meal
10-piece Chicken McNuggets for $1 (reg $5.29)
20% off any $10 mobile pickup order
The only reason to sign up for the McDonald’s email newsletter is to avoid checking the app. You’ll get a new email when the app has new deals or coupons.
2. Give the cashier your four-digit MyMcDonald’s Rewards code BEFORE you order to earn points.
The MyMcDonald’s Rewards program (only available via their app) lets you earn points on your purchases, which you can use to get free menu items.
Before you place your order in person or drive-thru, make sure you tap “Earn Points” and give the cashier your four-digit code to get the credit.
If you place an order through the app, you’ll automatically get points for your purchase.
Tip: If you forget to scan or give your code, you can contact McDonald’s with your order info. It’s cumbersome, but if you’re patient, they’ll do their best to add the points to your account.
3. Get free McDonald’s food with every $15 you spend.
There are four different tiers of freebies with MyMcDonald’s Rewards, and each one unlocks new menu items. Go to the McDonald’s Rewards tab in the app to pick your freebie, and either add it to your mobile order or pick “Use at Restaurant.”
At 1,500 points ($15 spent), you can choose from . . .
McChicken (reg. $2.59)
Cheeseburger (reg. $1.99)
Hash browns (reg. $2.09)
Vanilla cone (reg. $2.19)
At 3,000 points ($30 spent), you can choose from . . .
Medium fries (reg. $3.29)
Large iced coffee (reg. $2.99)
6-piece McNugget (reg. $3.89)
Sausage burrito (reg. $2.39)
At 4,500 points ($45 spent), you can choose from . . .
Large frappe (reg. $4.99)
Filet-O-Fish (reg. $4.69)
Large fries (reg. $3.99)
Sausage Egg McMuffin (reg. $4.39)
At 6,000 points ($60 spent), you can choose from . . .
Happy Meal (reg. $4.59-$6.69)
Big Mac (reg. $5.09)
Quarter Pounder with Cheese (reg. $5.39)
Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit (reg. $4.59)
4. Always use your points on the 1,500 point tier for the best cashback value.
You should always use your McDonald’s Rewards points on the 1,500 point tier if you want to maximize your savings since it’ll give you the most cashback in rewards. Here’s how much cashback each tier will give you in food freebies:
1,500 Points: 13 - 17%
3,000 Points: 8 - 13%
4,500 Points: 9 - 11%
6,000 Points: 8 - 11%
5. Get free McDonald’s fries every Friday on the app.
Free Fry Fridays at McDonald’s are our favorite. Every Friday, you get a deal on the app for an order of free medium McDonald’s fries when you spend at least $1 (cheapest item on the menu over $1 is a cookie at $1.19).
6. Get free food when you complete the McDonald’s survey on your receipt.
Your McDonald’s receipt will get you a McDonald’s coupon for a free item such as a Hamburger (reg $1.79) or Egg McMuffin (reg $4.39), or you could get an offer like a Buy 1 Get 1 Free on a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (reg $5.39).
Visit the McDonald’s Customer Satisfaction survey website and fill out the survey using the 26-digit survey code on your receipt. Once you complete the survey, you’ll receive a McDonald’s survey code you can redeem on your next visit.
There are lots more ways to get free food at restaurants — always save your receipts!
7. Get a Poor Man’s Big Mac from the McDonald’s secret menu for about $2 less than a Big Mac.
You can get Big Mac taste for less by ordering a McDouble without ketchup or mustard, but with Big Mac Sauce and lettuce instead for no extra charge.
You might not get the middle bun found in the Big Mac, but you’ll only pay around $2.99, as opposed to $5.09 for a regular Big Mac.
8. Save 42% with the Mini McFlurry versus the regular size McFlurry.
Love a McDonald’s McFlurry, but not crazy about the price? Order a Mini McFlurry.
A regular McFlurry (12 ounces) is $3.79, but the McDonald’s new Mini McFlurry (8 ounces) is only $2.19. That saves you $1.60 or 42%.
9. Order a McDonald’s coffee instead of Starbucks to save up to 36%.
McDonald’s McCafe is considerably cheaper than ordering off the Starbucks menu, so if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative, McDonald’s is your best bet. Here are prices for some popular drinks (16 ounce) .
Hot Coffee: McDonald’s costs $2.59; Starbucks costs $2.95 (12% savings)
Iced Coffee: McDonald’s costs $3.19; Starbucks costs $4.95 (36% savings)
Macchiato: McDonald’s costs $3.79; Starbucks costs $5.95 (36% savings)
Mocha: McDonald’s costs $3.89; Starbucks costs $5.85 (34% savings)
Latte: McDonald’s costs $3.49; Starbucks costs $4.95 (30% savings)
Cappuccino: McDonald’s costs $3.49; Starbucks costs $4.95 (30% savings)
Of course, if you need your Starbucks fix, we have all the Starbucks menu hacks no barista will tell you.
10. Skip the “$1 $2 $3 Menu”.
Don’t be fooled; the “$1 $2 $3 Menu” isn’t a value menu, nor is it the McDonald’s dollar menu. It’s just a collection of menu items that cost between $1 and $3.
11. McDonald’s prices are the same online as they are in stores.
Ordering through the McDonald’s app not only gives you points to get free McDonald’s, but it also costs the same as going in the store. Good to know, right?
TIP: Save at McDonald’s with coupons, like BOGO Big Macs from Restaurant.com with their Dining Discount Pass.
12. Expect to pay $1.49 or more to get McDonald’s Delivery.
You can get McDonald’s Delivery — or McDelivery — via the McDonald’s website/app, DoorDash , Grubhub, Uber Eats, and Postmates. The minimum delivery fee was $1.49 for Uber Eats, the others were $2.99. That doesn’t include tip or individual service fees.
If you subscribe to the delivery services’ unlimited subscriptions, like Uber One, you can get free delivery from select restaurants, when you order select food items or place an order that meets a minimum dollar amount.
13. Order the 40-count Chicken McNuggets to save up to 48%.
Why? Because if you compare the cost per nugget, the 10-piece Chicken McNuggets is the clear winner in the lower nugget count category. However, if you’re ordering for a large number of people, McDonald’s 40-piece Chicken McNugget is the cheapest option overall.
4-piece Chicken McNugget box $2.69, or $0.67 per nugget
6-piece Chicken McNugget box $3.89, or $0.65 per nugget
10-piece Chicken McNugget box $5.29, or $0.53 per nugget
20-piece Chicken McNugget box $7.99, or $0.40 per nugget
40-piece Chicken McNugget box $13.89, or $0.35 per nugget
14. McDonald’s senior discount is 10% at participating McDonald’s locations.
McDonald’s senior discount is available for customers ages 50 and older and can get you 10% off at participating McDonald’s locations. To see if your McDonald’s is offering this deal, be sure to call ahead to your local McDonald’s.
We’ve got a whole list of senior discounts that’ll save you money on everything from food to travel to entertainment.
15. McDonald’s offers teachers and military personnel discounts throughout the year.
Depending on the time of year, McDonald’s will offer free food and discounts to educators and military personnel. We’ve seen offers for free breakfast for educators on Teacher Appreciation week and 10% discounts on Veterans Day.
These deals might be seasonal, but we know all the teachers discounts and military discounts you can get all year long.
16. The McDonald’s birthday reward is a free dessert through the McDonald’s app.
McDonald’s used to give out Happy Meals to kids on their birthday, but now, they’ll send you a McDonald’s coupon for a free McDonald’s apple pie (reg $1.79) or ice cream (reg $2.19) through the MyMcDonald’s Rewards app.
And if it’s birthday freebies you’re after, browse our list of places that’ll give you free food on your birthday.
17. You can purchase the Happy Meal toys by themselves for less than $2.
You can buy Happy Meal toys separately from the kids meals for under $2 each (depending on your location).
But the cheapest way to get the Happy Meal toys (according to the cashiers at my local McDonald’s) is to just buy the Happy Meal; then any additional toy only costs about $0.79.
18. Get your bags of ice from McDonald’s for as low as $0.99.
Did you know you can get 8-pound bags of ice from McDonald’s for only $0.99-$1.49? Call ahead to your McDonald’s to see how much your local McDonald’s sells them for.
That’s a big deal because ice at convenience stores can run about $2.99 for the same size bag.
19. Additional toppings on McDonald’s burgers will cost you $0.60 – $0.70.
If you want additional tomatoes, lettuce, or onions, you’ll pay around $0.60 – $0.70, depending on your location.
Of course, any sauces like ketchup or honey mustard are free. No charge.
20. Become a McDonald’s employee to get free meals and discounts on food.
As a McDonald’s employee, you can get health insurance, dental coverage, a 401k plan, tuition assistance, family medical leave, maternity and paternity leave.
Team members also get free meals (during shift) and discounts (off shift) at McDonald’s restaurants.
21. Skip McDonald’s social media; they don’t have coupons or anything special.
Following the McDonald’s Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram won’t get you any freebies or McDonald’s coupons. It’s mostly jokes and entertainment (like the one above).
Related Reading:
Tell us what you think