8 Must-Know Wawa Ordering Tips And Hacks That Will Save You Money

If you aren't already familiar with Wawa, you probably don't live in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, where the chain reigns supreme among convenience stores. But, while Wawa has all of the gas, snacks, tobacco products, and drinks that a normal convenience store has, it offers so much more than that. Most notably? A range of hot and iced coffee drinks, along with an expansive food menu, including a long list of well-ranked hoagies. A Wawa stop is great for a quick bite to eat on a busy night or for grabbing lunch on your work break. But, in today's economy, any money you can save is a bonus.

I'm a big fan of Wawa and have grabbed breakfast, lunch, or dinner there for myself and my family more times than I can count. Plus, having a food industry background means I know good food when I eat it, and I have only ringing endorsements to offer the Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain. But, like you, I'm going to take every opportunity to save a little money here and there, and that includes on my Wawa trips. 

If you're not already aware of how you can do this, don't fret because I'm going to offer you all the wisdom I've gathered over the last few decades. Ready to learn eight must-know Wawa ordering hacks that will save you cash? Let's get into it.

Wawa is almost always running at least one promotion that either offers sheer cost savings or the ability to get more food for the same price. These promotions can save you varying amounts of money on either the hot food, packaged foods, or drinks offered. For example, one big promotion my local Wawa in Dorchester, New Jersey, is running is the $5 Big Breakfast Deal. With this deal, you can choose a Sizzli Breakfast Sandwich, a hashbrown, and an iced or hot coffee for just $5. Note that your local Wawa may not currently be running this special, and there's no guarantee that it ever will — this is just to give you an idea of what types of promotions you can expect.

It's not only the hot food specials that might be on sale. When you visit the store, make sure to scan the drinks, candies, and packaged snacks for cost savings, too. Recently, my local store had a deal on both candies and sodas. You could get two single-serve Coke flavors for just $2.50, or get two king-sized candy bars for just under $3. These bargains are great for when you need a quick snack on a budget but don't have time to wait for food at the counter.

If you've ever visited a Wawa but haven't signed up for the store's rewards program, you're seriously missing out. Signing up is simple, and you can do it from either the app (available on Google or App Store) or the website. You'll need to enter your email address and create a password, then fill in some basic identifying information. I suggest doing this through the phone app since you'll need it to have your digital card scanned so you can earn points.

Once you've signed up, make sure to have your digital card scanned for every purchase — this includes when buying food, drinks, or even gasoline. Each new account will receive a generous welcome offer of 350 points after you make your first purchase, which will help inch you closer to your chosen reward. The thing I like most is that you can choose any reward you want as long as you've accumulated enough points for it. Some examples of rewards offered include a free hot coffee, Sizzli, hoagie, burger, or smoothie. You can even redeem savings of up to 15 cents off per gallon of fuel. The fuel reward is available everywhere except New Jersey.

There's so much more to the Wawa Rewards Program than typical point accumulation and redemption. You should also regularly check your account using the phone app to see if you've qualified for any special savings. One guaranteed special savings is the birthday offer. On your birthday, you can choose from one of three special rewards — no point redemption necessary. Of course, if you want to ensure you receive this, you must make sure you fill out your date of birth when signing up.

Your account will also sometimes have special coupons in it that are only for Wawa Rewards Program members. These coupons might let you save some money on a hoagie, get a free drink with a food purchase, or something else entirely. They rotate regularly, and it's impossible to determine which coupons you will receive. Oh, and be extra careful to read the fine print on these coupons because some of them are good for multiple uses within a specific time frame. When I see multi-use coupons in my account, I always try to take advantage of them as many times as possible before they run out.

Hoagiefest is a once-a-year event that's basically a full-blown holiday in areas where Wawa convenience stores are prevalent. Don't believe me? Countless people commented on Wawa's Instagram post for Hoagiefest 2025, saying, "The best time of the year," and "It's the most wonderful time of the year." The fest typically takes place during the summer months, although the exact dates can vary slightly from one year to the next, as can how long the event lasts.

Every year, Hoagiefest rolls out different discounts, but the company always has some kind of hoagie deal — after all, it's what the event is named after. Last year, the discount was on a range of hoagies, clubs, wraps, quesadillas, and chicken sandwiches for under $6. Some years, Wawa will also have discounts on its well-loved frozen and iced drinks. When Hoagiefest occurs, it's an excellent time to treat yourself to Wawa at a low price. And, when you can effortlessly save money on delicious food, it is indeed the best time of year.

Wawa hoagies come in three standard sizes. There's the 10-inch classic, the 6-inch shorti, and the 4-inch junior. Most people will go for the classic, which ranges between $7 and $10. But if you're on a budget or just trying to spend a little less, a better option is to go for the shorti, which costs around $5 to $8. Ordering the smaller size doesn't mean you have to go without, however.

Most sandwich toppings at Wawa are completely free, and customization is really part of what makes the experience special. And, if you load that shorti up with ample free toppings, then you can get a filling amount of food for a slightly lower price. I know that, in my experience, this has worked wonderfully on days when I'm out and about and I'm starving, but I'm tight on money. Besides various cheeses and spreads, a few examples of potential toppings include lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, cucumbers, and spinach. You can also choose to add sweet peppers, hot peppers, or jalapeños, all at no extra cost.

Stacking coupons is a trick that extreme couponers use to save big on their purchases. You can use this trick, too, and you don't even need a giant binder or a lot of time to do it. Instead, simply pair your digital Wawa Rewards coupons with physical manufacturer's coupons for big savings.

There are two ways to stack coupons. The first way is to use a Wawa reward for a free or discounted hot foods item and pair this with a drink or chip manufacturer's coupon. If you're really lucky, you could use a free hoagie reward on a week where there's also, say, Coke and Lay's coupons, and end up walking away with a whole lunch for less than $5.

The second option is to stack rewards and manufacturer's coupons for the same packaged goods or drinks. For example, you might have a reward for 25 cents off a 16-ounce Pepsi in your Wawa account and pair this with a manufacturer's coupon for the same savings. Here, you end up saving 50 cents off your bottle. Of course, these are just examples, and savings and offers will vary at every location.

What's the best way to save money? By spending absolutely no money, of course. Which is why you should always take advantage of Wawa's free coffee days when it has them. Good places to keep an eye out for free coffee announcements include social media, in-store signage, local radio stations, or even local advertisements. If you're a Wawa Rewards Program member, however, you can receive a free coffee once a week. This usually occurs on Tuesdays, but the days might change based on location or the time of year, so be sure to check your account to be certain. You'll definitely want to take advantage of any opportunity that allows you to find out why Wawa is known as one of the best coffees around.

Free coffee days can be random, or they can fall on specific holidays, as well as in honor of a brand-new Wawa's opening day. Sometimes the free coffee is good for everyone who walks through the door, while other times the offer is targeted towards a specific group of people. Teachers, first responders, active military, and veterans are all examples of groups that may have special free coffee days just for them.

If you're following a gluten-free diet, trying to cut back on carbs, or just aren't a huge fan of bread, Wawa has several options for you. Most notably, there are salads and no-bun hoagies (which are exactly what they sound like). Both are delicious options that can be made without any gluten. But, if you want to save money, you should choose a no-bun hoagie instead of a salad because you get a better deal. On average, you'll save roughly $3 by going this route.

A no-bun chicken salad hoagie costs $5.99, but the chicken salad is typically over $8. The no-bun tuna salad hoagie is also $5.99, while the tuna salad costs more. The key here is to make sure you add whatever "salad" things you want to your no-bun hoagie, which comes at no extra cost to you, just like with the regular hoagies. I personally suggest opting for lettuce, tomato, onion, and cucumber. If you're a fan of pickles like I am, I'd also add those.