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McDonald’s is rolling out a new rewards program and customers can get free food

McDonald’s is rolling out a new rewards program and customers can get free food
Posted at 10:20 AM, Jun 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-18 09:23:14-04

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McDonald’s has been quietly testing a new rewards program in markets around the U.S. for the past few months. Now, the fast-food giant says they’re expanding the initiative to more customers.

According to Reuters, some customers in the New York City area received an email on June 16 informing them they were now part of the new My McDonald’s Rewards program.

Previously, McDonald’s tested the new plan in the southwestern and northeastern parts of the U.S. according to a transcript of a June 2 earnings call.

McDonald's

“We’ve been really pleased with what we’ve seen in Phoenix and New England where we’ve tested it,” McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said during the call, Reuters reported.

Kempczinski also announced the My McDonald’s Rewards program should roll out to all customers in the U.S. in the second half of this year, and customers in Canada and Germany could see the new program by the end of 2022.

The new My McDonald’s Rewards loyalty program will replace the current McCafe Rewards on the McDonald’s app.

McDonald's/screenshot

Customers can only access the loyalty program via the McDonald’s app. If you want to try it, you’ll need to go to your smartphone’s app store and download it for free.

Once you have the app on your phone, you should be able to see if you have the new My McDonald’s Rewards program. If you don’t, be patient. McDonald’s says it will be rolled out across the country this year.

What can you expect to see with the new My McDonald’s Rewards loyalty plan?

As soon as you download the app and have access to  My McDonald’s Rewards, you get your choice of a free order of hash browns, a vanilla cone, a McChicken sandwich or a cheeseburger after your first order.

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

When using the McDonald’s app to order your food or drink, or if you scan your phone while dining in, you will earn points on every purchase. Customers earn 100 points for every $1 spent on qualifying purchases. Business Insider reported that customers must earn 1,500 points to redeem a free item.

Even if you download the app now and you aren’t yet eligible to participate in the new My McDonald’s Rewards, you get a bonus. Any new download of the McDonald’s app to a smartphone earns you a free large french fries. Not a bad deal for a free app!

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