Yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch. Fast food restaurants love to entice hungry customers with offers of free food, from complimentary shakes to free fries. Most reward you just for downloading their app, signing up for text or email offers, or taking a short survey about your last visit. If you lack the patience to accumulate points on a loyalty or rewards program over multiple visits, consider these ways to score free fast food deals right now.
Burger King
BK always has several free offers available for its Royal Perks members.
New members get a free Whopper, original chicken sandwich, or Croissan’wich with any purchase of $3 or more.
- Free daily upsize of fries, drink, hash browns, or coffee
Free fries with any purchase of $3 or more
Chipotle
Yes, you can get free guac at Chipotle. All you have to do is sign up to be a member of their rewards program, and you get a free order of guacamole and chips with your first purchase. Chances are you’ll get random drops of BOGO deals and freebies, too — we’re speaking from experience.
McDonald’s
Downloading the McDonald’s mobile app will get you access to a slew of freebies. You’ll get a free Big Mac on your first order when you spend at least a buck, plus free medium fries every Friday (Fry-day, get it?) with any $1 purchase when you use the app. Make sure to check out the Deals section of the app for ever-changing freebies.
Taco Bell
New members to the Taco Bell rewards program will get an instant coupon for a free item, which includes popular picks like soft tacos and Beefy 5-Layer Burritos. Give them your birthday and you’ll get a free Mountain Dew Baja Blast Freeze. Plus, always watch the app on Tuesdays as the chain drops free item rewards all the time.
Wendy’s
There are many ways to score free stuff at Wendy’s.
Download the app and then open the offers section, where you’ll find rotating coupons like free any-size soft drink with a purchase, or free small chili with any fry purchase.
Fill out the survey on the back of your receipt to get a free burger or chicken sandwich on your next purchase.
Make sure you add your birthday when you sign up for a rewards account to get a free Frosty on your special day.
This one requires some planning ahead, but you can buy a Frosty key tag in November each year to get free Frostys with a purchase the entire next calendar year.
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Firehouse Subs
Firehouse Subs, the sub shop known for its hot sauce selection, is giving away a free large drink when you sign up for its rewards program and buy a sub. If that’s not good enough for you, you’ll get a free medium sub once your birthday rolls around, too.
Dairy Queen
Sign up for the Blizzard Fan Club — who isn’t a Blizzard fan? — and get an email for a buy one get one free Blizzard. Plus, check the bottom of your receipt because you can often score a free Dilly Bar by filling out a survey.
Subway
Long gone are the days of $5 Footlongs, but the ubiquitous free cookie bid will seemingly never die. Take the survey at the bottom of your receipt and you’ll get an offer for a free cookie or drink on your next purchase. Signing up for the chain’s MVP Rewards program gets you a free cookie on your birthday and free chips on Fridays with any purchase.
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Culver’s
Signing up for MyCulver’s rewards and completing your profile — which includes simple information like your preferred location and favorite flavors of the day — earns you a coupon for a buy one get one free value basket. Enter your birthday for a free sundae that day.
Panera
When you join the MyPanera rewards program, you’ll get a coupon for a free sweet treat, pastry, or bagel in your account in the app. You’ll get the same thing when your birthday rolls around. Another bonus? Panera offers $0 delivery fees for 30 days when you first join the rewards program.
Jimmy John’s
You’ll get a freaky fast free sub at Jimmy John’s when you sign up for the Freaky Fast Rewards program. The only catch is you earn it after you make your first purchase through the program, but you’ll get a birthday freebie, too.
Dunkin’
You can grab a free beverage or donut just for signing up for DD Perks, Dunkin’s rewards program. Plus, if you enter your birthday, you’ll get a free beverage when that rolls around, too.
Sonic
There are two ways to get free drinks at Sonic. First, sign up for their text offers — different than the app rewards — and you’ll get a coupon for a free drink. Then use the code at the bottom of your receipt to get another free drink next time.
Moe’s Southwest Grill
You’ll get a free cup of queso (and chips, but those are always free here) when you sign up for the rewards program at Moe’s. And get excited for your birthday, because you’ll get a free cup of queso or guacamole then as well.
Jack in the Box
Score free medium fries when you sign up for the restaurant’s text or email promotions. It’ll also unlock freebie coupons for items like mini churros.
Noodles & Company
Join Noodles Rewards and you’ll get a free small entree after your first purchase of $10 or more, plus a free birthday gift. The most difficult part will be deciding between mac and cheese and Japanese pan noodles.
Checker’s
The reward for downloading and signing up for the Checker’s loyalty app is a buy-one-get-one-free sandwich coupon. If you sign up for the chain’s text messages, you’ll score a free Big Buford burger as well.
Popeye’s
Sign up for Popeye’s Rewards in order to take advantage of their best deals. You’ll get a free cinnamon apple pie, drink, or side with a $5 purchase. And check your receipt because you can get a freebie if you fill out the guest feedback survey.
Steak ‘n Shake
It’s hard to go to Steak ‘n Shake without getting a shake; it’s in the name, after all. Sign up for the rewards club and you’ll get a free shake with your first purchase.
Del Taco
There’s a 20% off any purchase coupon on the horizon when you sign up for Del Taco’s rewards program, cleverly called Del Yeah! Rewards. Plus, you’ll get a free regular-size shake on your birthday each year, along with free coffee every day before 11 a.m. with purchase.
Hardee’s
If you sign up for the email offers at Hardee’s, you’ll get a reward for a free sandwich with any $1 or more purchase. Definitely use it on a Frisco burger!
Zaxby’s
Just sign up for the Zax Fan Club online or in their app and you’ll get five free chicken fingers — including dipping sauce, naturally — with any $5 purchase.
Quizno’s
The loyalty program at Quizno’s, called Toasty Points, will award you $5 off any purchase just for signing up. Plus, you’ll get a BOGO free sub on your birthday so you can celebrate with someone.
Panda Express
The receipts at Panda Express always have a way to claim free food on them. Just go to the website listed, fill out the quick survey, and you’ll be rewarded with a free extra entree on your next visit. There’s also a rewards program that will send you a free gift for your birthday.
Taco John’s
This West- and Midwestern-based competitor to Taco Bell has a pretty sweet deal for downloading its app and joining the Bigger Bolder Rewards program: a free medium Potato Olés.
White Castle
Everyone who craves White Castle should download the company’s app. Once you sign up for the Craver Nation loyalty program, you’ll get a coupon for $5 off your first order. Plus, you’ll get a free dessert-on-a-stick or shake for your birthday.
Raising Cane’s
Weirdly enough, Raising Cane’s still uses actual cards for their loyalty program. So in order to score a freebie on your birthday, you need to go to a Raising Cane’s location and sign up for the Caniac Club, then register the account online.
More Fast-Food Deals From Cheapism
- Free Fries and More Fast-Food Deals Available in September — Find out how to score things like free fries from McDonald’s, Taco Bell’s Luxe Cravings Box, and freebies via app-offers this month.
- 12 Fast-Food Breakfast Deals to Grab This Month — Cheap eats for breakfast: think BOGOs for 50¢, $4 chicken biscuits, and value combos across national fast food chains.
- 23 Fast-Food Family Meal Deals Available in September — Deals that feed the whole crew — large chicken bundles, Taco Bell’s $21 meal for four and more value packs.
