Full of exclusive deals, coupons, and free stuff, here are the 15 Best Fast Food Loyalty
Programs.
Chick-fil-A
When you're craving some tasty fried chicken, and you don't know which joint to go to, Chick-fil-A
could be a good bet. The Chick-fil-A One rewards program recently underwent an upgrade
and introduced a brand new membership tier full of rewards and bonus point challenges.
Basically, the more you spend in a year, the higher your membership status gets and the
bigger your perks become. Every time you buy something, you get points, but depending on
your membership status, you can get more points per dollar. Whether you're a Silver, a Red,
or hold the ultimate 'Signature' membership status, you have access to an impressive amount
of deals and rewards by using your well-earned points. You can even sign up to receive a
birthday reward! Loyal customers have helped the chain achieve one of the highest Customer
Satisfaction ratings and the average restaurant pulls in an average of $3.1 million dollars
in sales yearly. Basically, when it comes to chicken and the rewards that go with it,
Chick-fil-A is doing something right.
Starbucks
There's nothing we buy more of every day than coffee, so it would make sense for the largest
coffeehouse chain in the world to have a solid, profitable loyalty program. Luckily for us,
Starbucks has exactly that - one of the best mobile experiences out there! Starbucks Rewards
was implemented in 2016 and now counts over 20 million active members. The key to the
program's success is that it's a simple, easy, and convenient way to make the best out of
your daily purchase. Each customer is awarded two stars for every dollar spent, and they can
use those stars to redeem free drinks and food. By downloading the app, you can also
place and pay for orders in advance, thus avoiding any lines. These mobile orders now
make up 7 percent of the orders at Starbucks in the U.S, which represents a 16 percent
increase. Of course, there are tons of other perks when joining Starbucks's reward program,
so why not check it out and see for yourself!
Taco Bell
Recently, Taco Bell decided to join the loyalty program hype and offer its customers the chance
to get their hands on some free food. To start things off smoothly, just by downloading the
app just before the rollout of the program, you could claim a variety of free items - like a
free Chalupa Cravings Box one day and free Doritos Locos Tacos the next. To earn points,
it's really easy - all you have to do is make qualifying purchases on the app, and you will
earn 250 points for every $25 dollars spent. And after 250 points are earned, you can get
a reward! As you navigate the loyalty program, you can also unlock VIP rewards like bonus
point challenges, exclusive offers, and extra gifts on your birthday. The app is also the
best method of contactless ordering, a way to skip window payment completely and a really
useful advantage to have in this day and age.
El Pollo Loco
If we based our rating solely on customer feedback, then El Pollo Loco would earn the
title of "Best Fast Food Loyalty Program" right now. Thanks to the new and improved
Loco Rewards launched last year, the Mexican chain has seen a 40% annual growth in membership.
It uses a pretty straightforward approach and works much like any other loyalty program
- every dollar spent will earn you points, whether it's an in-restaurant purchase or
online order. With every 50 points, or $50 dollars spent, you will get $5 dollars off
your order, which you can apply to your purchase, up to $20 dollars. You also have access to
countless deals, specials, and personalized offers - all you have to do is scan the QR
code on your receipt in the app, and you'll discover a whole new world of savings, but
hurry up if you don't want to miss out - points expire 6 months from the issuance date!
Domino's
Everybody knows about Domino's iconic tracking service - a way to know where your pizza is
at all times - but not a lot of people know about their loyalty program. Every time you
place an order, you collect 10 points, and after 60 points? You can redeem them for an
entire free pie! Piece of the Pie Rewards members not only get pretty sweet deals but,
they can also be the first ones to know about them. When the quarantine first started, Domino's
wanted to make sure its customers were safe, so the chain offered 50% off all pizza deliveries
in March, and reward members were the first to be let in on the offer. Domino's also offers
a complete School lunch program called the Smart Rewards program. Every time you buy
a Smart Slice, you’ll earn points that can be used to support your local schools.
McDonald's
Of course, a giant fast-food chain like McDonald's would have a killer loyalty program - happy
customers equals happy restaurant! It's the perfect way to keep your existing customers
happy, all the while attracting new ones. The new McDonald's Rewards Program can be accessible
simply by downloading the app and scanning every in-store purchase to collect points.
No matter what you buy: a Big Mac, a combo meal, or even just a soda, it can all earn
you points. Lately, however, the deals have been pretty stellar for coffees. For every
five McCafe drinks you buy, you get a sixth for free! But that's not all! The Golden Arches
also offers a plethora of new coupons every week, exclusively available on their app.
Plus, if you buy any combination of applicable hot beverages or fries through the app, you'll
earn a reward to redeem either a free medium beverage or medium fries! You simply can't
pass up on these deals!
Dunkin'
Once again, coffee is an important part of many people's daily routine, so it wouldn't
hurt to get a little bit back once in a while - especially if you buy from the same place
every day. Dunkin' offers one of the best reward programs when it comes to coffee shops.
The DD Perks Rewards Loyalty Program was introduced nationwide in January 2014 and is now fully
integrated into the chain's app. When you become a member, you can earn 5 points on
every dollar spent, and then after 200 points, you can get yourself a free beverage of your
choice. It was originally designed to provide customers with new levels of convenience,
and well, to see if it was successful, we can let the numbers speak for themselves.
There are now more than 16 million satisfied members of the DD Program. Dunkin' proudly
describes it as “one of the fastest-growing loyalty programs in the industry."
Dairy Queen
Dairy Queen is the ultimate summer destination when you want to cool down on a hot day. And
since DQ's specialty is the Blizzard, why not sign up for the Blizzard Fan Club! This
is a club we can pretty much all get behind, to be honest. By signing up, you will join
millions of other fans who receive tons of free coupons, blizzard promotions, exclusive
offers, new flavor updates, Blizzard Of The Month announcements, a blizzard coupon for
your birthday, and so much more. As for the regular DQ loyalty program, it's like any
standard program: you earn points with every qualifying purchase ordered ahead through
the app or by scanning your phone at the register. You can then use those points to
redeem whatever you'd like, all customized specifically to your taste. In other words,
don't waste any time and become a member before summer starts, you won't regret it!
Subway
With Subway's loyalty program, getting a tasty sub has never been easier - or as exciting!
Subway's MyWay Rewards program literally does it all, and having access to it is a piece
of cake. From exclusive deals to digital wallets and restaurant locations, you can find everything
you're looking for, all in one convenient app. Every time you spend a dollar, you get
four tokens, and with 200 tokens? You can redeem $2 off your next purchase - meaning
you have a $2 dollar discount for every $50 dollars you spent! These tokens can be earned
in many ways, including using the chain's app, swiping a registered Subway Card, or
by simply providing your phone number at the restaurant. You can also unlock freebies
- like a stack of Subway's famous cookies and be eligible for personalized offers and
Surprise Awards. Doesn't this sound like one of the best bargains yet?
Chili's
For a fast-casual food joint, Chili's has always been a rather early adopter when it
comes to technology, and this advantage has been particularly helpful these days with
the recent "stay at home" rules. Not only can you get free chips & salsa or a non-alcoholic
beverage by visiting participating Chili's at least once every 60 days, but you can also
score a lot of freebies simply by signing up to the My Chili's Rewards program. Along
with free food and drink, you will also have access to 1-tap ordering, as well as the ability
to use your rewards when you're ordering to-go, curbside, or for delivery - all methods to
encourage as little contact as possible. My Chili's Rewards Program also offers personalized
Rewards like free kids meals, free delivery, free appetizers, and even free dessert on
your birthday. There's never been a better time to go to Chili's than now!
Wendy's
We asked, and Wendy's answered! The chain has finally decided to venture into the world
of loyalty programs to, yes, better its digital growth, but also to help its customers grab
some enticing deals. Even though it took years for Wendy's to cave in, it sounds like it
was more than worth the wait. Members of the program can earn 10 points per dollar spent
every time they order through the mobile app or scan their QR code at the counter or drive-thru
window. The only bad news is, orders placed through third-party delivery services do not
qualify for rewards. After accumulating enough points, you can unlock many free items from
the Rewards Store and opportunities to earn bonus points. According to Wendy's, digital
customers spend 20% to 60% more on its mobile and delivery services and visit four times
more than regular customers. The chain expects these sales to drive growth tremendously over
the next few years, all thanks to their loyalty program.
Chipotle
Chipotle also recently launched its loyalty program in hopes of increasing its digital
presence and let's just say it was a very successful decision. In less than a year,
the program had grown more than 50%, going from 8 million to 12 million members! But
why are people so excited about Chipotle's reward program? Well, aside from the occasional
free burrito bowl, you can also enjoy a lot of alluring deals. Obviously, there's the
"you get points every time you spend a dollar" factor - which can earn you free Chipotle
menu items after you reach 1,250 points - but there's also the free delivery offered from
time to time and the very generous birthday favors. This new rewards program has greatly
helped the chain, especially during the hard times of the pandemic. So, to enjoy some delicious
burritos - sometimes for free - download the app and become a part of the Chipotle family!
Popeyes
As the chain serving one of the best chicken sandwiches on the market, there was no way
Popeyes would miss the chance at offering its customers a way to get one for free. With
Popeyes' reward program - much like with every other program on this list - you can earn
points for every dollar spent whenever you order digitally or in-store. As you accumulate
those points, you can get your hands on attractive rewards by using the chain's app. While this
alone would be enough to make customers happy, Popeyes takes it one step further. You can
have your order prepared in advance and skip the line for a hassle-free takeaway. You
can also benefit from a smooth and secure online payment and an uninterrupted ordering
experience. Sure, this is more of an "app-exclusive" than it is a membership, but it's still a
great way to enjoy and receive special deals and perks.
Panera Bread
Panera Bread - unlike many other newbies - has been in the loyalty program game for what
seems like forever. Ever since 2010, loyal customers have been able to enjoy all the
advantages and deals the program has to offer. The card-based loyalty program rewards its
members with tons of free food and bakery items, invitations to special events, recipe
books - oh, and, let's not forget, free coffee all summer long. With so many perks, how could
you resist signing up? MyPanera has over 21 million active members, and over 50% of the
company transactions occur using MyPanera cards. By becoming a member, you get to experience
one-of-kind opportunities - and it all starts with a free sweet treat. You can even get
free surprises and sneak peeks at new menu items. To get access to all of these wonderful
benefits, all you need to do is sign up. Honestly, Panera Bread, you're doing something right;
keep it up!
Del Taco
Just by looking at the name of its loyalty program, you can tell that Del Taco is not
messing around. If you're looking for free food, amazing deals, and unique opportunities,
then joining the "Raving Fan Fan Club" should be your next move. From the moment you sign
up, you get showered with gifts - well, okay, you get showered with free tacos - but honestly,
same difference. You get not one but two free delights, which is always a plus. And, when
it's time to celebrate your birthday, you can get a free premium shake. Putting the
free stuff aside, you also have access to exclusive coupons and the chance to try out
some new menu items before everyone else. Now's the time to join Del Taco's inner circle
and treat yourself to some incredible offers.
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