The 9 Best Fast Food Loyalty Programs

Hit the drive-through a few too many times this week? Your secret's safe with us. The upside to being a regular is that nearly every major fast food chain now has a rewards program ready to throw free food your way.

A lot of them are capitalizing on the concept of "gamification." Every chain has its own spin — some use "crowns," others use "points," and plenty have membership "tiers" that unlock as you spend more. It can feel a bit gimmicky, but some of these programs can actually add up. A free order of fries here, a discounted burger there, and before long, lunch is on the house.

Most of us are already ordering through apps anyway, so signing up is usually quick and painless. But not all rewards programs are created equal. Some have generous expiration policies, while others let your points disappear after a few months. Some offer special deals on certain days of the week, and others bury important limitations in the fine print.

We did a deep dive into the best fast food rewards programs to figure out which ones are actually worth your time. We looked at how quickly you can earn free food, whether there are any hidden drawbacks, and which programs give you the most bang for your buck. Here's what we found.

Starting off strong with the granddaddy of fast food. Operating in over 100 countries, serving billions annually, and dishing out about 9 million pounds of fries every single day is McDonald's. Love it or hate it, it's a cultural fixture, and the rewards program is designed to keep regulars coming back with a steady stream of freebies.

McDonald's has a points rewards system – every $1 you spend earns you 100 points. Those points then unlock four different tiers of free food, with plenty of options to choose from. You'll be able to start redeeming points pretty quickly. Once you hit 1,500 points (basically after spending $15), you can snag smaller items like a McChicken, hash browns, or a vanilla cone.

At 3,000 points, your options expand to things like medium fries, six-piece McNuggets, or breakfast items like sausage McGriddles. The 4,000-point tier unlocks larger items such as large fries, a Filet-O-Fish, or hotcakes. And when you reach 6,000 points, you can go for the heavier hitters like a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, or 10-piece McNuggets.

The value here is solid, especially since you don't have to rack up a ton of points before getting something free. Using the program is straightforward. Just scan the app when you're checking out. If you're going through the drive-through, you'll get a four-digit code to share with the person at the window. The expiration policy is pretty reasonable. You get six months to use your points, so you don't have to worry about them disappearing if you're not hitting up McDonald's every week.

KFC has turned fried chicken into a worldwide obsession. So much so that in Japan it is tradition to eat it on Christmas Day. The secret blend of herbs and spices remains locked in a vault, but the rewards program can be easily deciphered — earn points, score a free bucket. You earn 10 points for every $1 you spend, and you'll get a free bucket meal once you hit 1,000 points. That means you're looking at a free bucket after spending $100, which is decent value considering how much food it is. There are also plenty of ways to earn bonus points — when you first sign up, when you refer a friend, and on your birthday. New users also get a free bucket meal just for placing their first mobile order through the app, which is one of the better sign-up perks out there.

There is one significant downside worth mentioning — only online and app orders qualify for KFC Rewards points. If you order in-store or at the drive-through without using the app, you won't earn anything. Despite this, it's still worth signing up for, even if you get KFC once in a while, as it's free to join and the points don't expire for a whole year.

Burger King's rewards program runs on "crowns" instead of points. You'll earn 10 crowns for every $1 you spend, and there's tons of things you can redeem them for. The rewards are split into five tiers. At the bottom, 250 points gets you basics like a hamburger, cheeseburger, or soft drink. The mid-tier options at 750 points include things like a Whopper, mozzarella sticks, or a vanilla milkshake. And if you save up to the top tier of 1,400 points, you can go for the big stuff like a Bacon King or Double Whopper.

It goes beyond just the basic points system, though. Members get access to exclusive offers and deals that aren't available to everyone else. And you can also rack up extra crowns by participating in challenges through the app if you're feeling competitive.

There are also birthday perks which are a nice touch. During your birthday month, every purchase earns you double crowns, so you can build up rewards faster. Another benefit is the free daily upsize. Every single day, you can upgrade your fries, fountain drinks, hash browns, or coffee to a larger size at no extra cost. The final thing to note is that Burger King gives you six months to use your crowns before they expire.

Chick-fil-A has earned a reputation for great customer service. And the rewards program shows an appreciation for it's most loyal customers. Instead of a one-size-fits-all points system, Chick-fil-A offers tiered memberships based on how much you spend each year. The more you visit, the more points you earn per dollar.
Everyone starts as a Member, earning 10 points for every $1 spent. It's free to join, and you can start redeeming rewards through the app right away. You can spend your points on free menu items like the popular sandwiches, nuggets, fries and desserts. Spend $100 in a year and you'll then move up to Silver status, where you earn 11 points per $1. Silver members also get bonus rewards and the ability to gift rewards to friends and family, which is a nice feature if you want to treat someone.

The Red tier kicks in once you've spent $500 annually, bumping you up to 12 points per $1. Red members get access to exclusive rewards that aren't available at lower tiers, plus priority customer service and invites to member-only experiences. At the top is Signature status, which requires $1,000 in annual spending. Signature members earn 13 points per $1, the highest rate in the program. You'll also get VIP access to events and exclusive Chick-fil-A merchandise.

At Wendy's you earn 10 points for every $1 you spend, and right off the bat, new members get 200 bonus points plus a free 10-piece of nuggets just for signing up. Once you're in, you'll have access to bonus point offers and exclusive deals through the app. These pop up regularly, so it's worth checking before you order to see if there's anything that can help you rack up points faster. Your points are good for a full year before they expire, so you've got plenty of time to decide what you want to save up for.

There are tons of redemption options available, but here are some examples to give you a sense of the range — on the lower end, 200 points gets you small seasoned potatoes or four-piece chicken nuggets. At 300 points, you can grab a crispy chicken sandwich. If you're after large fries, that'll run you 450 points. The mid-tier rewards include things like a breakfast Baconator for 600 points or a Dave's Double for 800 points. At the top of the range, 900 points gets you either a Baconator or one of the fresh-made salads.

Dunkin' has a 10 points per $1 system, but there are ways to boost that rate if you're a frequent visitor. Go to Dunkin' 12 times in a single month, and you'll earn 12 points per $1 for the next three months. That's a nice incentive if you're already stopping by regularly for your coffee fix.

The program also includes exclusive offers and discounts through the app. One such deal is Mobile Mondays, where you earn 100 bonus points just for ordering ahead. Another nice touch is that you'll get triple points on your birthday.

Rewards start unlocking at just 150 points, so after spending $15, you can grab something small like three donut holes or six hash browns. At 300 points, you can get a classic donut. A bakery item like a muffin or a portion of 10 donut holes costs 400 points. At 500 points, you can go for bites and bagels, while 600 points gets you any size, hot or iced, coffee or tea. The higher tiers include a breakfast sandwich at 900 points and specialty coffee or frozen drinks at 950 points.

Taco Bell, the largest Mexican chain restaurant in the U.S., has always been about value. It's fast, it's cheap, and it fills you up. The rewards program follows this ethos with tiered memberships that give loyal customers better perks. There are two tiers for the Taco Bell rewards program. The basic one gets you 10 points per $1 spent, and you can start redeeming at 250 points. At this level, every 250 points ($25) unlocks popular menu items. You can pick from things like cheesy fiesta potatoes, a cheesy bean and rice burrito, a regular taco, a breakfast burrito, or a medium fountain drink. It's a flat rate, each item is 250 points which keeps things nice and simple.

If you hit 2,000 points, you'll unlock Fire tier status. At this level, you'll earn 11 points per $1 instead of 10, and you get access to better menu items like the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Taco, the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, or the Chicken Enchilada Burrito.

Taco Bell runs special offers and deals on Tuesdays, so check the app then for bonus point opportunities or discounts that help you rack up rewards faster. There's also a referral program where both you and a friend get a free Doritos Locos Taco when they sign up. Your points are good for six months before they expire.

Domino's has a points system but it's calculated a little differently. You earn 10 points on every order that's $5 or more, which means you can rack up a free item after just two orders. The rewards are broken into three tiers based on how many points you've saved up. At 20 points, you can grab smaller items like a free dipping cup, 16 Parmesan bread bites, or a 20-ounce drink. Once you hit 40 points, you can get bread twists or cheesy bread. At the top tier of 60 points, you can go for a medium two-topping pizza, pasta, an oven-baked sandwich, or three-piece chocolate lava cakes.

There's also the opportunity for members to get special discounts and deals and to earn extra bonus points. Just remember that Domino's rewards are tied to orders, not dollars spent. So whether you're spending $5 or $50, you're still only getting 10 points per order. That means the program works best if you're ordering regularly rather than placing one big order every once in a while.

Panera Bread offers a free membership and a paid subscription option. The free membership gets you free delivery on orders over $25. New members also get $5 off their first order over $10, plus a free bakery item. You'll also get free delivery for the first 30 days after signing up. And on your birthday, you'll receive a free bakery treat or bagel.

The paid subscription is called Unlimited Sip Club. For the first five months, it's only $5 a month. After that, it jumps to $14.99 per month, or you can pay $119 upfront for the year, which works out to about $9.92 per month if you commit annually.

What do you get with the Sip Club? Unlimited hot and iced coffees, hot teas, select iced teas, and fountain drinks every time you visit. You also get free delivery on all orders, not just ones over $25. There are Saturday-exclusive deals for members, plus a birthday treat and other perks that rotate throughout the year.

Whether the paid subscription is worth it really depends on how often you visit Panera. If you stop by for coffee multiple times a week, the unlimited drinks alone can pay for the membership pretty quickly. But if you're only going occasionally, the free membership perks might be enough.

We evaluated each program based on several key factors to determine which ones offer the best value. First, we looked earning rates, time to first reward, and overall redemption value. How many points do you get per dollar spent? How quickly can you unlock your first freebie? And most importantly, are the rewards actually worth the money you need to spend to earn them?

Expiration policies and ease of use were also considerations. We also looked at how simple it is to sign up, track your points, and redeem rewards through the app without jumping through hoops. We examined sign-up bonuses, bonus earning opportunities, and reward variety. What do you get just for joining? Are there extra ways to rack up points through special promotion days, challenges, referrals, or birthday rewards?

Finally, we dug into tiered memberships and hidden limitations. Some programs reward frequent visitors with better benefits at higher tiers, so we checked whether those are realistic to achieve. We also combed through for any restrictions like online-only ordering requirements, minimum purchase amounts, or excluded menu items that might limit your ability to earn or redeem.