Last updated on November 26th, 2024 at 05:35 pm
McDonald's Shopping Guide
Attention McDonald’s fans: If you are ordering straight off the McDonald’s menu—and paying with cash or an unlinked credit/debit card, you are paying more than necessary. You can make your money go further at McDonald’s—and earn cash back on your purchases—with the help of a few useful shopping apps.
Tip #1: Use the McDonald’s App
On May 29, 2024, Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald’s USA, described the McDonald’s app as “the greatest way to unlock all the value we offer.” He’s right. There are many valuable deals in the McDonald’s app that help you get more food for less money.
Now, not everyone who downloads the app sees the same deals and the same pricing. But in general, you are likely to find long-running “buy one get one free” deals, a la “but one breakfast sandwich, get one free.” You might also see 20% off any purchase of, say, $12 or more. Or 40% off a particular burger. And free fries or hash browns with a minimum purchase of $2. Plus, free medium fries (on Fridays only) with a minimum purchase of $1. And so forth.
Check the McDonald’s app before you order off the regular menu; using the app you should be
able to save money every time.
Tip #2: McDonald’s Can be a Great Place to Buy Tea, Soft Drinks
The app also makes McDonald’s one of the most economical places to buy soft drinks or tea. It’s common to find a “$1 any size soft drink, sweet tea, or unsweetened tea” in the app, a deal that is typically good 4x a day.
You might find a better deal on individual fountain drinks at select convenience stores or a Big Box store like Costco, but likely nowhere else.
Tip #3: McDonald’s Rewards Points
Another benefit of using the McDonald’s app is the ability to accumulate McDonald’s reward points. By creating an account in the app, you can earn rewards points (100 points for each dollar spent) that can be redeemed for free food and drinks.
Better yet, you can unlock a new double points offer each week (double points on any breakfast purchase, for one), which can help you accumulate points faster.
One can argue that McDonald’s Rewards Points aren’t especially valuable. As of this writing, it takes 1,500 points ($15 in spending) to get a free cheeseburger or vanilla cone.
And it takes 3,000 points ($30 in spending) to get a free medium fries or large iced coffee. Or 6,000 points ($60 in spending) to get a free Quarter Pounder® with Cheese or Big Mac®. But if you have the chance to accumulate points, you may as well accumulate them.
Tip #4: Earn Cash Back on McDonald’s Purchases
An oft-overlooked way to make your money go further at McDonald’s is to use a cash back app, like Lolli.
Simply download the Lolli app, link the credit or debit card you use to pay at McDonald’s to your Lolli account, and click on the McDonald’s card boost offer before you pay.
McDonald’s purchases earn 3% cash back in Lolli, with a maximum reward of $0.25 (1x per day).
It’s not a lot of money, but it’s a very easy way to earn extra cash back (above and beyond credit card rewards) whenever you visit McDonald’s.
McDonald’s and Upside, Other Shopping Apps
Likewise, there are other shopping apps and dining rewards programs that may allow you to use coupons, or earn cash back or gift cards when you spend at McDonald’s.
For example, Upside (which pays you cash back when you buy gasoline, eat at restaurants and shop at convenience stores) has been known to feature select McDonald’s restaurants.
We’ve also seen McDonald’s locations featured in Marriott’s dining rewards program, which allows you to earn Marriott hotel points when you eat at restaurants.
And you can find McDonald’s coupons in the Coupon Cabin and BeFrugal apps.
Last but not least, you can purchase McDonald’s gift cards at a discount in popular gift cards apps, if you want to go that route.
If you have any tips for making your dollars go further at McDonald’s, don’t hesitate to email us at tips@allgoodpoints.com.
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Earning Cash Back with Checkout 51.
The process of earning cash back with Checkout 51 is simple:
- Browse offers on the app’s home page.
- Select the product(s) you plan to purchase before you buy them.
- After you have made your purchase(s), click the “redeem” button to upload your receipt using the app’s built-in camera.
- After your receipt is approved, you are credited the prescribed amount of cash back.
Select offers are labeled as “barcode offers” and require scanning the barcode on the product to verify that the correct product was purchased. Barcode offers can only be redeemed on the Checkout 51 mobile app using the in-app scanner.
Adding a Loyalty Card to Your Checkout 51 Account.
Cash back offers from Checkout 51 may be credited automatically, if:
- You shop at select retailers that have partnered with the app, and
- You add a loyalty card from that retailer to your Checkout 51 account.
To add a loyalty card to your account, go to the Account page in the app and tap “your loyalty cards,” then “add card.” To redeem offers with your loyalty card, use the app to “add” offers and then use your loyalty card when you purchase the items. Checkout 51 will add the Cash Back to your account automatically.
This page has the current list of Checkout 51 partners.
Note: This feature is not available in Canada, and only in select U.S. states with certain retailers.
Can You Submit a WalMart Pickup Order?
Yes, but those can only be submitted via the Checkout 51 Web site via desktop or laptop computer. WalMart orders must be made and picked up or delivered before the Wednesday 11:59 pm deadline or they are not eligible for cash back.
How to claim WalMart pickup offers with Checkout 51.
- Take a screenshot of your e-commerce receipt.
- Login to the Checkout 51 Web site and click the “upload receipt” button at the top right of the site.
- “Select image file” to select the jpg, gif or png you’ll be uploading.
- Click the blue “I’m done. Next Step!” button.
- Select the offer(s) you’re claiming, then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and click on the green “Finish” button.
- It can take up to five days before WalMart e-commerce receipts are processed.
Can You Combine Other Offers with Checkout 51 Offers?
Yes, you can earn cash back with Checkout 51 in combination with other apps and coupons, unless otherwise stated.
Checkout 51 Surveys.
Checkout 51 partners with research companies to provide “personalized surveys.” Checkout 51 surveys are only available on the mobile app. They are found in the “Extras” section along the bottom bar.
From our experience, Checkout 51 surveys offer precious little in the way of earning potential. Surveys can take between 15 and 45 minutes and pay between 20 and 45 cents.
Note: Checkout 51 advises that if the answers that you provide are not consistent with the type of person the research company is looking for, the survey will end and partial credit will be awarded. According to Checkout 51, “Some surveys may ask the same questions twice, to make sure that you are paying attention. Conflicting answers will result in disqualification.”
Checkout 51’s Gasoline Offers.
Checkout 51 offers cash back on gasoline purchases, in much the same fashion as the Upside app.
To take advantage of a Checkout 51 cash back gas offer, open the “Gas” tab located under the “Extras” tab at the bottom of your screen. When you click on this tab, a map will open, at which point you can see which area stations are currently offering Cash Back rewards.
Simply select an offer and click on the bar at the bottom of the screen, which will bring up the offer details.
After you have claimed an offer, buy gas at the station you chose within four hours. Then you have a 20-hour window to photograph and upload your receipt. You should receive a “receipt uploaded” confirmation email to the address associated with your Checkout 51 account. Within 10 days, you should receive another email letting you know if it was accepted or rejected.
Checkout 51’s Online Shopping Portal.
You can earn cash back when shopping online via the “Shop” links under the “Online” tab in the Checkout 51 app. However, it’s a very limited list of online retailers.
When Can a Checkout 51 User Cash Out?
App users can cash out via PayPal as soon as they have earned at least $20.00 in cash back. When you cash out your entire balance gets cashed out.
Checkout 51 Has an “Inactive Management Charge”
According to Checkout 51’s Terms of Service, a user’s account becomes inactive if there are no Claimed Offers during any consecutive period of 180 days. In that case, Checkout 51 “may apply an Inactive Account Management charge of $3.99 worth of Cash Back Credits per month up to a maximum of the total amount of your Cash Back Credits balance during that period in which your account is inactive.”
How Does Checkout 51 Make Money?
According to Checkout 51’s FAQs, the app “partner(s) with brands to bring our members offers. They pay us to find new people … to try their products.”
If you like Checkout 51, you might also like Upside, Checkpoints, Shopmium, Tada and Pogo.
