Restaurants

McDonald's kiosk update closes rewards loophole

JuliaDorian - stock.adobe.com

July 20, 2026

Summarize with

McDonald's customers claim the company has closed a loophole that allowed diners to redeem multiple app deals during a single restaurant visit by placing orders through self-service kiosks, according to a Daily Mail report.

Previously, some customers scanned their rewards account at a kiosk, completed a purchase and then immediately repeated the process to bypass the 15-minute cool down period that applies when using the McDonald's mobile app.

According to posts on Reddit, kiosks now enforce the same 15-minute waiting period as the app, preventing customers from stacking multiple discounts or promotional offers in one visit. McDonald's states on its website that customers are limited to one deal per person, per visit, though it has not announced whether the kiosk change is being implemented nationwide or only at certain locations.

The workaround had gained popularity on social media among customers seeking to maximize app-exclusive offers. While some users expressed frustration that the loophole appears to have been eliminated, others said the company should focus more on improving food quality, speed of service and order accuracy than tightening restrictions on promotional discounts.