The McDonald's Freebie Perks You're Missing Without The App

McDonald's has gained a reputation in the last six years for pricing out some of its customers; indeed, over the last 25 years, the price of a Big Mac has nearly tripled, which has led the public to no longer perceive this fast food icon as a cheap stop. The bigwigs at McDonald's corporate have acknowledged the price pain, and they've worked on some deals to help alleviate hungry fans' distress. Namely, if you download the McDonald's app, you can take advantage of special McValue discounts, including a free Big Mac and free fries.

There are some caveats where both deals are concerned, however. The free Big Mac, which, along with other burgers, is getting multiple upgrades, is only available to first-time app downloaders. So unfortunately, if you've been using the app, you won't qualify. And you will have to spend at least $1 in order to claim this freebie.

The fries, which are McDonald's best-selling menu item, are open to all users of the app, new and existing, and you can actually claim a medium size every Friday (it's called Free Fries Friday — try saying that five times fast). However, you do also have to spend at least $1, but we think a crisp, large Diet Coke and salty, hot medium fries on a Friday for just $1.79 would absolutely slay. You can access both of these deals on the McValue Menu portion of the McDonald's app.

After an initial announcement in November of 2024, the McValue platform was added to the McDonald's app the following January. It seeks to address the idea that McDonald's is no longer affordable by offering customers special deals on beloved items. These include a buy one, get one for $1 discount on four breakfast items: the Sausage McMuffin, sausage biscuit, sausage burrito, and hash browns, and four lunch/dinner items, including the double cheeseburger, small fries, McChicken, and six-piece Chicken McNuggets.

The McValue section of the menu also includes $5 meal deals for both breakfast and dinner. The breakfast meals center around the Sausage McMuffin, sausage biscuit, and Sausage McGriddle, and include a sausage burrito, hash brown, and drink, while the dinner options include a McChicken or a McDouble, four-piece McNuggets, small fries, and a beverage.

Additionally, the app's McValue section will also feature local deals, specific to franchisees, like a percentage off a minimum total. And in some restaurants (but not all), to further add value to your order, you can use the McValue deals with any rewards you might have, in the same purchase.