Does McDonald's Still Offer Discounts For Seniors?
If you're 60 (sometimes 55) years of age or over, there are plenty of restaurants where you can get a senior discount. At Chili's, Dunkin', and Krispy Kreme, for example, senior citizens are eligible for 10% off their order. And at many major chains including KFC, Sonic, and Dairy Queen you can also get a free drink. McDonald's, however, isn't quite as generous to its senior customers. Even though the fast food chain has a rewards program and frequently runs promotions on different menu items, seniors aren't guaranteed any discounts.
There technically is a senior discount, however it varies from location to location and is only offered at select restaurants. "Ninety percent of McDonald's restaurants are independently owned and operated by franchisees, who have the ability to set their own prices," McDonald's explains on its website. Therefore, it's up to each store to determine what discount to give to seniors, if at all.
McDonald's senior discount doesn't apply to all menu items
Unlike at most restaurants, McDonald's senior discount doesn't apply to the entire order. At the locations that do offer it, it only applies to certain beverages, typically coffee or small fountain drinks. That means seniors will always have to pay full price for menu items like Big Macs and McNuggets, unless of course they manage to get some sort of deal that's available to all MyMcDonald's rewards customers.
If your McDonald's doesn't have a senior discount, don't be too disappointed, because it typically isn't a very big one. The highest reported discount according to The Senior List is 33 cents off at a Delaware McDonald's. A location in Texas, meanwhile, apparently only offers 22 cents off coffee and small soft drinks. These numbers of course aren't set in stone. To figure out what the senior discount is at your McDonald's, the chain recommends calling the store directly and you can always inquire about it in person.
How to use the senior discount at McDonald's
To take advantage of the senior discount at many places, you usually have to show a photo ID or AARP card to prove that you actually qualify for one. McDonald's, on the other hand, doesn't require you to do so. Based on comments from McDonald's customers in one Reddit thread, it just isn't a big deal for most managers, which means all you have to do is ask for the senior discount and they'll take your word for it.
As people on TikTok have discovered, you sometimes don't even have to mention it at all. If you look like a senior citizen, McDonald's employees will automatically apply the discount to your order, and you'll just see it on your receipt. This sometimes means that customers younger than 55 end up getting their drinks for slightly cheaper, but people seem to be happy to save a few cents either way.