Do McDonald's Points Expire?

Nothing triggers pure bliss like spotting McDonald's iconic golden arches when you're hungry for a quick-and-tasty meal to devour. That bliss grows exponentially when you realize that you can utilize the restaurant's app and loyalty program. Regularly using the app is one of the few McDonald's hacks that saves you money; you earn 100 points for each dollar you spend at the chain. That means if lunch is $10, you've now earned 1,000 points. Since the lowest rewards bracket is worth 1,500 points, it only takes two $10 purchases to use your rewards on either food or drink items. However, these points don't last forever.

Luckily, McDonald's allows you a few months to use your reward points before they expire. In fact, your points will expire six months after you originally made the purchase, usually on the first of the month. So, if you earned 2,000 points on January 5, those points will likely expire on July 1 of the same year. But don't worry, a few weeks before your points expire, McDonald's will notify you so that you can redeem them before they vanish.

If for some reason you don't get that notification, open the app, click the "Rewards & Deals" page, and review the top portion. Any points that are expiring soon will show up there. You'll also be able to review a list of recently earned points and their expected expiration dates. Once you have these expiration dates, you can figure out what you'd like to redeem your points for.

There are a few ways to redeem points at McDonald's. First, you can do so when placing a mobile order. Simply select the reward you want to redeem, add it to your cart, and checkout. If you prefer to speak to someone, you can also redeem points in person or at the drive-thru. Just add the reward to your cart and say you want to use it at that specific location. Then, the app will provide a 4-digit code to share at the register or drive-thru window. If you want to redeem your points on a delivery order, you can only do so only through McDelivery — just make sure to add your reward item to the order before you pay.

When it comes to rewards, there are a few you can choose from. For 1,500 points, you can get a classic cheeseburger, regular or Hot 'N Spicy McChicken sandwich, one hash brown, or a vanilla cone. For 3,000 points, you get an order of 6-piece chicken McNuggets, medium fries, a sausage burrito, or a large iced coffee. Then, for 4,500 points, choose between a Sausage McMuffin with Egg, a large Frappé, large fries, or McDonald's famous Filet-O-Fish. Lastly, for a whopping 6,000 points, request a Happy Meal, a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit, a Quarter-Pounder with Cheese, or the beloved yet mysterious Big Mac.

Unfortunately, you can only use a reward once per order, and you can't share your points with other people either. So, if you don't use them, they will disappear forever. However, you can certainly share your food. Instead of using your points for yourself or letting them disappear, you can use them as a way to brighten someone's day.