McDonald's Customers Hate The 'Small Order Fee.' Here's How To Remove It

McDonald's has come under fire recently for its overpriced McValue menu items, which have crept steadily upward, basically pricing out lower-income Americans. And while it has somewhat addressed the fact that a dollar simply doesn't go as far on its menu as it once did — introducing cheaper combo meal options — the fact remains that for many, McDonald's is no longer their go-to choice for an inexpensive, satisfying meal. 

And that's not even taking into account McDelivery, the fast food chain's food delivery platform. Because of course, as with any third-party delivery service, there are lots of additional fees to drive up your total, including, in McDonald's case, a small order fee, which has some customers irate. And the only way to remove it is to add more food to your order.

The small order fee, which might be as low as $2 but can also add up to $3.50 (depending on a variety of factors), is for orders that don't meet a certain threshold, typically $10 to $15. And on a Reddit thread, where the original poster shared a screenshot of their McDelivery total, commenters revealed their derision at this extra charge. "That is utterly ridiculous and disgusting and needs to be fought against," one poster insisted, while another referred to it as a "Just because we f***ing feel like it fee!" It can certainly seem that way, especially when the only fix is to order more.

If the concept of McDonald's' small order fee has you scratching your head, you're not alone. It might seem like you're basically being punished monetarily for spending less on food, but it's not meant as a penalty. It's simply the fast-food chain making cheaper orders "worth it," because its delivery costs are the same regardless of your order size. 

Still, there is another workaround you might try, and it doesn't involve adding more food to your order. McDelivery actually uses DoorDash and Uber Eats as its third-party couriers, so why not try assembling your order directly through one of those apps and seeing if it isn't cheaper? It's true that both also apply small-order fees in some cases, but if the minimum threshold is lower than the one in the McDonald's app (say, $10 for DoorDash, versus $15 for McDelivery, and your order total is $13), then you're in business.

There is also the fact that if you're a DashPass or Uber One member, you can reap the benefits of those subscriptions, like no delivery fees or special in-app coupons and deals (and you can't use your memberships through the McDelivery platform). It's at least worth a try, and it beats having to peel yourself off the couch and put on pants to go pick up your double Filet-O-Fish and fries.