🍟 5 proven ways to save at McDonald’s

🍟 5 strategies to eat at McDonald’s while spending less

McDonald’s is one of the most popular chains in the world, but the average price of meals has increased in recent years in practically all countries. The good news is that there are concrete and legitimate ways to reduce this cost, and most people only know one or two.

We have compiled here the five most effective strategies, tested by consumers and compared with each other. Combined, they can reduce the cost of a meal by more than 40% without changing anything you already order.

1. The official app is the most underrated channel

Many people ignore it, but the McDonald’s app is the number one source of discounts. It offers coupons that do not appear at the counter or in self-service kiosks, valid only for those who order through the app.

What you get using the app:

• Daily deals with up to 50% off on selected items
• Exclusive combos for mobile orders
• Flash promotions at specific times (usually late afternoon)
• MyMcDonald’s Rewards program: points that convert into free food

The app is free and works on iOS and Android. It’s worth installing even if you only go to McDonald’s occasionally: you use it when you need it, ignore it when you don’t.

2. Online coupon aggregators

Before any order, two minutes searching for coupons can generate a good discount. The best sites for this:

• RetailMeNot — global reference in coupons, with community rating on each code
• Picodi — verified offers in more than 40 countries, daily updates
• CouponBirds — codes tested by users and separated by product type

In many cases, discounts reach 20% or 40% on specific combos. It’s real money saved with little searching.

3. Cashback doubles the savings

Cashback is the money that comes back to you after the purchase. In the case of app orders via delivery (Uber Eats, DoorDash, iFood), some services return a percentage of the amount paid:

• Rakuten — returns 1% to 5% depending on the restaurant and platform
• TopCashback — competitor to Rakuten, with similar rates
• Drop App — points for purchases, converted into gift cards

The crucial point: cashback combines with coupons. You can apply a 20% coupon and still earn 3% cashback on the already reduced value. In two clicks, the savings reach close to 25%.

4. The value menu that nobody mentions

Almost every country where McDonald’s operates has a line of cheaper items, usually called “Saver Menu”, “Small Prices” or “€1 Menu”. These combos are designed to cost half the price of a main combo.

What is usually included:

• Simple sandwiches like McChicken and cheeseburger
• Small drinks (soda, coffee)
• Desserts like ice cream cone and basic sundae
• Daily promotions at specific times

Combining two or three items from the value menu usually costs less than ordering a standard combo, with equivalent quantity.

5. Giveaways and free gift cards

International platforms distribute McDonald’s gift cards in legitimate weekly giveaways. The process is usually simple: free registration with email, no credit card, and results come out a few times per month.

The best known:

• Best Deals — weekly giveaway of €10 gift card
• Honey Gold — monthly giveaway for Honey extension users
• Microsoft Rewards — points that convert into gift cards from various brands

This type of giveaway is free by nature: the platforms profit from commercial partnerships, not from participant fees.

Which strategy to choose first?

If you could only adopt one, the recommendation is to start with the official app. It offers the greatest immediate return (daily coupons available all the time) and also accumulates points that convert into free food.

After that, it’s worth accumulating cashback through Rakuten and registering your email for weekly giveaways. These three fronts together usually generate savings of 30% to 40% on monthly fast food spending, without changing any habits.

Mistakes that cost money

Even those who use coupons make mistakes that cancel out part of the savings:

• Ordering at the counter without checking the app first (you lose the mobile coupon)
• Forgetting to activate cashback before the purchase (it’s not retroactive)
• Mixing promotion with item outside the rule (some coupons are exclusive)
• Not checking code validity before ordering

These simple precautions avoid frustration and maximize savings on each visit.

The secret to consistent savings at McDonald’s is combining several strategies at the same time: app + coupon + cashback + giveaway. Nobody needs to do everything at once. Start with one, integrate the next and you’ll see the bill drop without changing what you order.

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