Score Free McNuggets, Fries, & More With McDonald’s New Loyalty Program

McDonald’s is making your next visit to the Golden Arches a lot more rewarding, thanks to the launch of its brand new loyalty program. While the fast food chain previously gave customers a chance to earn McCafé drinks with a digital punch card, it’s never had a rewards program for all of its food — until now. If you’re new to McDonald's Rewards, here’s how to sign up, earn and redeem points, and find great deals all from the McDonald’s app.

Following test programs in Phoenix and New England in 2020, McDonald’s will launch its Rewards program at participating locations across the U.S. on July 8. While the Golden Arches already has loyalty programs in the United Arab Emirates, France, and China, this is the first time U.S.-based customers can start earning points for their Mickey D’s purchases — and luckily, the new rewards program is pretty easy to use. From signing up to redeeming points for delicious food and beverages, here’s everything to know about MyMcDonald’s Rewards program.

Signing Up

Unlike for many chains’ loyalty programs, signing up for the MyMcDonald's Rewards program couldn’t be easier once it officially launches nationwide on July 8. If you already have the McDonald’s app downloaded on your phone, you don’t have to worry about taking any extra steps, as you’ll be auto-enrolled into the program and can start earning and redeeming points as soon as you want to. All you have to do is tap “Join now” to show you agree to the program’s terms and conditions, and you’re ready to go. You can find the Rewards section of the app in the middle of app menu at the bottom of your screen. If you don’t currently have the McDonald’s app, you’ll need to download it and sign up before you can start getting points on July 8.

Earning Points

Once you’re a member of McDonald’s Rewards, you can scan any of your purchases to get 100 points for every dollar you spend. To make the launch of its rewards program even sweeter, the Golden Arches will also give you an extra 1,500 points (which you can put towards a free Cheeseburger, McChicken, Vanilla Cone, or hash browns on your next visit) when you make your first order using MyMcDonald’s Rewards.

If you use Mobile Order and Pay, you’ll automatically get the points when you place your order. When ordering at a McDonald’s restaurant or at a drive thru, you’ll want to tap “earn points” at the bottom of your McDonald’s app to get a four-digit code you can use at the drive-thru and a QR code to scan for in-store purchases.

To view any deals that are going on that day, just go to the Rewards tab.

Redeem Points

To redeem your points, you’ll also want to go to the Rewards tab. Based on how many points you’ve accrued, you’ll be able to pick different menu items you’d like to redeem your points for. Keep in mind that earning points and redeeming points are only eligible for McDonald’s orders made in-store and in the drive thru, so you won’t be able to get any for McDelivery.

With the launch of the McDonald’s loyalty program, all McCafé points will be converted to regular McDonald’s Reward points. However, if you have any free drinks vouchers on the app, you’ll still be able to use those. Points don’t last forever though: Points expire on the first day of the month, six months after you first earned them — so don’t wait on redeeming them if you have enough to score a McDonald’s freebie.