‘17% back on their food purchases’: Expert tests all the fast food apps from McDonald’s to Taco Bell. This one saves you the most

Who remembers the days when a burger and fries came together in a smoldering hot paper bag for just a few coins? Back when the dollar menu was really just a dollar?

As inflation continues to rise, those days get farther away. However, our friends over at FinanceBuzz have recently given the Daily Dot some intel on how to bring those true cheap fast food deals back. It's all about the apps. 

FinanceBuzz says that due to increasing prices there's been a loss in consumers for many of these once-beloved chains. 

“Fast food restaurants, like McDonald’s, have become exponentially more expensive over the years, causing them to lose loyal diners,” a FinanceBuzz spokesperson tells the Daily Dot.

And this hasn’t gone unnoticed, in efforts to combat the loss of customers. they explain that these restaurants have turned to providing deals via their individual digital interfaces.

“Customers have typically been able to find savings through dedicated loyalty apps, and rack up reward points to get menu items at a discount or entirely free,” they add.

But the question of if this truly makes up for the rise in prices still lingers. So the research team at FinanceBuzz tested 13 different fast food loyalty programs to find out more. Here’s what they learned.

The most rewarding fast food apps

McDonald’s offers some of the best in-app savings. 

“Customers can earn between 9% and 17% back on their food purchases, on average,” FinanceBuzz notes.

Taco Bell offers the highest ceiling, with app savings of up to 22%. Starbucks not so much: The wildly popular app keeps you coming back for a comparatively low 3% savings, per FinanceBuzz.

Having your entire meal paid for by some leftover rewards points can be a great feeling. From Pizza Hut to KFC, to even Carl’s Jr., these national brands offer some of the best in-app rewards.

How competitive are apps from Jimmy John's, Burger King, Subway?

We noticed some major players not rank, or rank low, on FinanceBuzz's list. So we looked into why. Turns out each has unconventional issues.

Jimmy John’s

Who doesn’t love a speedy-quick sandwich at the office? The first thing you walk into when entering the store is aesthetically pleasing checkered tile and red LED lighting. While the app design aligns in being nonetheless attractive, according to TasteTable, the issue lies with the store’s allocation of points. 

TasteTable explains that rather than gifting customers points based on money-spent within a transaction, points are assigned based on the number of transactions made. This means that that one time you quickly stopped in to grab a soda will allegedly equate to the same amount of points as picking up a tab for a family of 5.

It's still on the old punch-card system.

Burger King

Reviews for the Burger King app have been a mixed bag. While the app allows for users to place orders ahead and locate nearby restaurants, it has been known to have a few technical difficulties. 

Users have commented on their struggles of trying to sign in to their account. Such issues block them from being able to receive rewards points and sometimes there can be issues with coupons disappearing from accounts. 

However, while the interface may be slightly difficult for some to navigate, Burger King does provide a Royal Perks program for these users, providing “Crowns,” for every dollar spent. It can be said that these rewards can be generous.

“I usually have only had problems with the restaurant not getting the order correct 30% of the time, but now the app doesn't work because of whatever garbage new update they pushed through. I can no longer sign into my account to receive rewards points, and I cannot set my restaurant location choice by typing in my zip code. I'm prompted to share my location, but you don't need that. I just need a store and a time frame to pick up the food. Fix it, it's been almost a month now,” one app user comments. 

So while Burger King may have a pretty secure rewards program in-place, user-friendliness and recently reported structural changes are the underlying reason why its app draws criticism.

Subway

Subway’s MVP Rewards program is generally considered pretty strong. Providing 10 points for every $1 spent, points can be exchanged for Subway Cash.

But much like Burger King, the issues stem from its digital-interface and accessibility. As of late October, many users have turned to leaving reviews for the application, sharing their grievances. 

“Main feature for this app is completely broken.... You cannot make an order with this app! That's right. If you try to make an order and then press submit order it will sit there and spin on the processing forever. It does not process. It does not send order. You can close out of the apps and nothing will happen. It effectively stalls while trying to make a purchase... And I tend to like remote ordering with sandwich shops so I can get it to all correct on how I want it then show up and grab it,” one user comments.

“This subway app is useless. What's the point of the BOGO if the app doesn't work. Last week, we tried ordering from different locations, and it kept saying no products in the location. Today, I tried doing a pick-up order, and nothing happens after I click in-store pick up. It just freezes up for every location. The delivery option seems to work fine, but I'm not trying to spend $20 extra when I can pick up myself. Y'all need to hire a new staff to fix the app,” another adds. 

Accordingly, a series of 1-star ratings followed, bringing the overall review to be a 4.3 out of 5.

The Daily Dot reached out to Burger King, Subway, and Jimmy John's for comment about their oft-criticized apps.

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