MyMcDonald’s Rewards UK: Points, Tiers & Expiry 2026

I’ve used MyMcDonald’s Rewards enough to notice that the rules aren’t quite as forgiving as they used to be. The basic idea is still simple: you earn 1 point for every 1p spent on eligible menu items at participating restaurants, then exchange those points for rewards. But two changes matter in 2026: points now have a shorter expiry window, and the number of points needed for each reward tier has increased. This guide explains what changed, how to earn and redeem points, what happens when points don’t show up, and whether it’s still worth building a balance.

What Changed in MyMcDonald’s Rewards in 2026?

McDonald’s changed its Rewards programme from 30 December 2025, and there are two changes that matter most to ordinary customers.

First, the validity period for new points changed. Instead of having a 12-month validity period, points are now valid for six full calendar months from the date they were earned, plus the first day of the following month. That makes the expiry window something you’ll want to keep an eye on if you don’t visit McDonald’s regularly.

There was also a transition for older points. Points earned before 30 June 2025 expired on 1 January 2026 under the changeover rules.

Second, the number of points required for rewards increased from 17 March 2026:

At the standard earn rate, the first tier now requires £5 more eligible spending than before. The other three tiers each require £10 more.

That doesn’t necessarily make the scheme unusable, but it does change how quickly occasional customers can reach a reward. The shorter expiry window also means there’s less reason to leave points sitting untouched for months while you aim for a higher tier.

How to Join MyMcDonald’s Rewards

Joining is straightforward because the programme is built into the McDonald’s app.

Download the McDonald’s app, register or sign in, and opt into MyMcDonald’s Rewards. Once your account is active, you can start collecting points on eligible purchases at participating restaurants.

McDonald’s also currently advertises 1,000 bonus points on a first order, subject to the applicable offer terms. If you’re a new user, that’s worth checking before placing that first order rather than assuming the bonus will be added automatically in every circumstance.

The app is also where you’ll manage your points balance, view available rewards, check your history and generate the code needed for purchases made at a kiosk, Front Counter or Drive-thru.

In other words, the app isn’t just a place to collect points afterwards. It’s part of the process of identifying your Rewards account when you buy something.

How to Earn McDonald’s Points

The standard earn rate is simple: you receive 1 point for every 1p spent on eligible products.

The important bit is that your Rewards account has to be identified before the transaction is completed. You can’t normally finish your order and then decide afterwards that you’d like the points attached to it.

There are three main ways to do it.

App ordering

When you order through the McDonald’s app, your Rewards account is associated with the order. You therefore don’t have to manually present the same 4-digit code that you use for some in-restaurant purchases.

Eligible app orders can earn points automatically, provided the purchase qualifies under the Rewards terms.

Kiosk or Front Counter

If you’re ordering at a kiosk or the Front Counter, open the McDonald’s app and go to the Code section.

Generate your unique 4-digit code and present or use it before the transaction is completed. The important part is timing: the code needs to identify your Rewards account while the purchase is being made.

I now prefer to open the Code screen before I get to the counter. It removes that familiar bit of last-second phone fumbling when the order is already being processed.

Drive-thru

The same basic principle applies at the Drive-thru. Have the code ready before the payment stage and make sure it is presented before the transaction is completed.

Don’t try to open or navigate the app while driving. If you need to prepare the code, do it while safely parked where possible. A few extra Rewards points aren’t worth creating a distraction behind the wheel.

What Counts as Eligible Spend?

The 1 point per 1p rate doesn’t mean that every pound appearing on your final receipt automatically becomes Rewards points.

Points are based on eligible purchases under McDonald’s Rewards terms. Certain charges and transactions are excluded, including delivery fees, service fees, applicable small-order fees, driver tips, charitable donations and third-party delivery orders. There can also be other excluded products or transactions under the programme rules.

That means the amount you pay and the amount used to calculate your Rewards points aren’t necessarily identical.

For example, a delivery order can contain eligible food but also include fees that don’t generate points. Likewise, using a third-party delivery platform doesn’t turn that purchase into an eligible MyMcDonald’s Rewards transaction simply because the food came from a participating McDonald’s restaurant.

The exact exclusions can change, so the McDonald’s Rewards Terms remain the place to check the detailed definition of eligible spend.

What Happens If My McDonald’s Points Are Missing?

There are two different situations, and it’s useful not to confuse them.

You forgot to use your code

If you bought something at the counter, kiosk or Drive-thru but didn’t identify your Rewards account before completing the transaction, you generally can’t go back afterwards and add the points to that purchase.

That’s why the Code screen is worth opening before you order rather than remembering it once you’ve already paid.

You used the code but the points haven’t appeared

This is different.

If you used your Rewards code or placed an eligible order through the app, McDonald’s says points can sometimes take up to 48 hours to appear.

So if your points balance hasn’t changed immediately, don’t assume they’re gone. Give the transaction the full 48-hour window first.

If they’re still missing after that, contact McDonald’s through the app and keep your receipt or order number available. Claims need to be made within 30 days of the purchase.

The in-app route is:

More → Customer Service → McDonald’s Virtual Assistant

That gives customer service the information needed to investigate the transaction rather than leaving you to work out where the missing points went.

McDonald’s Rewards Tiers: 2,000, 3,500, 5,000 and 6,500 Points

The 2026 Rewards Menu has four main point thresholds. At the standard earn rate, they represent £20, £35, £50 and £65 of eligible spending respectively.

2,000 Points: Your First Reward

The 2,000-point tier is the first point at which you can redeem a reward.

At the standard earn rate, reaching 2,000 points means you’ve spent £20 on eligible products.

Current examples include a Regular Soft Drink, Regular Tea, Espresso, Americano, Mini McFlurry, Hash Brown, Small Fries and Side Salad. There is also a £2 charity donation option.

The exact Rewards Menu can change, so these should be treated as current examples rather than permanent entitlements.

For a new Rewards user, this tier matters because it’s the first tangible return from the scheme. You don’t have to wait until you’ve built a huge points balance before using what you’ve earned.

Whether one reward is better value than another depends on what you’d actually buy. A Small Fries reward isn’t automatically a better deal than a drink simply because one happens to have a particular menu price.

3,500 Points: Where the Choice Gets Better

At 3,500 points, you’ve reached the equivalent of £35 in eligible spending at the standard earn rate.

The current examples are much broader, including Sausage Sandwich, Regular Latte, Cappuccino, Flat White, Hot Chocolate, McCafé X Sprite Zero, Cheeseburger, Medium Fries, Mayo Chicken, Cheesy Bacon Flatbread, Apple Pie, Regular McFlurry and 4 Chicken McNuggets. A £3.50 charity donation is also available.

This is where the Rewards Menu starts to offer more substantial food as well as drinks and smaller items.

If your points are getting old, there isn’t much benefit in refusing a useful 3,500-point reward purely because you’re hoping to reach the next tier. With the shorter expiry window, the decision isn’t just about building the biggest possible balance. It’s about whether the reward you can use now is more useful to you than the possibility of waiting for something else.

5,000 Points: Bigger Rewards, Bigger Commitment

The 5,000-point tier represents £50 of eligible spending at the standard earn rate.

Current examples include Large Fries, Cheese Side, Caramel Frappe, Brownie, 6 Chicken McNuggets, Double Cheeseburger, Sausage & Egg McMuffin, McChicken Sandwich, Cheesy Potato Bites, Filet-O-Fish, Chicken Salad and Medium Milkshake. There’s also a £5 charity donation option.

The attraction here is obvious: you have access to more substantial menu items.

But there’s a trade-off. Saving to 5,000 means keeping points for longer, and the shorter expiry rules make that more important than they used to be.

If you’re regularly buying eligible food anyway, saving can make sense if there’s a particular reward you actually want. Saving simply because a larger number in the app feels satisfying is harder to justify if some of those points are approaching expiry.

6,500 Points: The Highest Reward Tier

The highest current threshold is 6,500 points, equivalent to £65 of eligible spending at the standard earn rate.

Current examples include 3 Chicken Selects, McCrispy, Big Mac, Double Sausage & Egg McMuffin, 9 Chicken McNuggets, McPlant and Double Filet-O-Fish. A £6.50 charity donation is another option.

These are current examples from the UK Rewards Menu, not guarantees that the menu will never change.

I wouldn’t automatically save for 6,500 points just because it’s the highest tier. The biggest reward isn’t necessarily the best reward for you.

If you regularly buy McDonald’s and genuinely want one of the items in this tier, saving can be perfectly sensible. But if older points are approaching their expiry date and there’s a useful lower-tier reward available, waiting purely to reach 6,500 can backfire.

The sensible approach is to treat your points as something to use, not as a savings account.

How to Redeem McDonald’s Points

Redeeming points is handled through the McDonald’s app.

Start by opening Rewards & Offers and selecting a reward that you’ve unlocked. The app will then show the redemption option available for that reward and ordering method.

For an app order, add the reward to your order as instructed.

For a kiosk, Front Counter or Drive-thru purchase, add the reward to your Code and present that code when ordering. Make sure the reward is attached to the transaction before the purchase is completed.

McDonald’s also allows eligible rewards to be redeemed through McDelivery when the order is placed using the McDonald’s app. Third-party delivery platforms aren’t part of the Rewards redemption system.

One useful detail is that redeeming a reward doesn’t necessarily mean you stop earning points on the rest of your order. You can redeem a reward and still earn points on eligible menu-item spending in the same transaction.

So, if you’ve unlocked a reward and you’re buying additional eligible products, you don’t have to choose between using the reward and collecting points.

Do McDonald’s Points Expire? 2026 Rules Explained

Yes. The 2026 expiry rules are important because points no longer have the old 12-month validity period.

New points are valid for six full calendar months from the date they’re earned, plus the first day of the following month.

It isn’t simply a flat 180-day period.

For example, if you earn points on 4 January 2026, those points remain usable until 23:59 on 1 August 2026.

Because the calculation is linked to the date points are earned, different batches of points in your balance can have different expiry dates.

You can check the relevant information in the app through:

Rewards & Offers → View History

That’s the section I’d check if you’re sitting on a large balance and aren’t sure how long you have left.

The transition to the new rules also meant points earned before 30 June 2025 expired on 1 January 2026.

Six months sounds fairly generous until you’re only visiting every few weeks. If that’s how you use McDonald’s, checking the expiry information occasionally makes more sense than assuming the balance will remain available indefinitely.

McDelivery: Which Orders Earn Points?

The ordering channel matters.

If you place a McDelivery order through the official McDonald’s app, eligible food spending can earn MyMcDonald’s Rewards points. The Rewards system is connected to the McDonald’s app order, so you don’t need to treat it like a separate loyalty transaction.

Third-party delivery is different.

Orders placed through platforms such as Uber Eats, Just Eat or Deliveroo don’t earn or redeem MyMcDonald’s Rewards points under the current terms.

That can be slightly confusing because the restaurant itself may be exactly the same. You’re still buying McDonald’s food, but the transaction is being processed through a different ordering channel.

So if you’re specifically trying to collect McDelivery Rewards points, use McDelivery through the McDonald’s app rather than assuming any delivery order will qualify.

The same principle applies to redemption: third-party delivery platforms aren’t a workaround for using your existing Rewards balance.

Can I Donate My McDonald’s Points to Charity?

Charity donation is another way to redeem your points rather than exchanging them for food or drinks.

For charity donation purposes, McDonald’s currently assigns:

• 2,000 points → £2 donation
• 3,500 points → £3.50 donation
• 5,000 points → £5 donation
• 6,500 points → £6.50 donation

McDonald’s says current charity partners include Ronald McDonald House (UK) and Felix, although charity partners can change.

It’s worth being precise about what these figures mean. They describe the value McDonald’s currently assigns to the relevant point redemption for charity purposes. They shouldn’t automatically be treated as a universal cash value for every Rewards point.

Gift Aid cannot be claimed on the donation of the points value.

For someone who doesn’t particularly want a menu reward, the charity option also gives the points a straightforward alternative use rather than allowing them to expire.

Is MyMcDonald’s Rewards Worth It?

The basic maths is easy.

At the standard earn rate:

• £20 eligible spend → 2,000 points
• £35 eligible spend → 3,500 points
• £50 eligible spend → 5,000 points
• £65 eligible spend → 6,500 points

For a regular McDonald’s customer, the scheme can be useful because you’re earning rewards from spending you were going to make anyway. Bonus-point campaigns can also increase the earn rate when you’re eligible for them.

For an occasional customer, the shorter expiry window matters more. If you only visit every few weeks, you need to pay more attention to the dates attached to your points rather than assuming you can save them for a year.

Heavy users also have limits to consider. Points are collected only on the first 10 transactions per day and up to 40 transactions per week, while an account balance cannot exceed 100,000 points.

So, is it worth using? I still think it is when I’m buying McDonald’s anyway. I just wouldn’t treat the balance like savings.

The best approach is fairly boring: earn points on purchases you’d make regardless, keep an eye on expiry dates, and choose rewards based on what you actually want rather than chasing the highest number of points for its own sake.

MyMcDonald’s Rewards UK FAQ

Do McDonald’s points expire?

Yes. Points earned under the current rules are valid for six full calendar months from the date earned, plus the first day of the following month. You can check the relevant expiry information through Rewards & Offers → View History.

How long do McDonald’s points last in 2026?

The expiry isn’t simply 180 days. Points last for six full calendar months from the date they were earned, plus the first day of the following month.

For example, points earned on 4 January 2026 can be used until 23:59 on 1 August 2026.

How do I earn McDonald’s points?

You earn 1 point per 1p spent on eligible products at participating restaurants, subject to the programme terms. Your Rewards account needs to be identified before the transaction is completed.

For app orders, the account is associated with the order. At a kiosk, Front Counter or Drive-thru, you can use the unique 4-digit code in the app.

What happens if my McDonald’s points are missing?

If you used your Rewards code or made an eligible app order, allow up to 48 hours for the points to appear.

If they’re still missing, contact McDonald’s through More → Customer Service → McDonald’s Virtual Assistant. Keep your receipt or order details available, because claims need to be made within 30 days of the purchase.

If you simply forgot to identify your Rewards account before completing a transaction, you generally can’t add those points afterwards.

Can I earn McDonald’s points on Uber Eats?

No. Third-party delivery orders through services such as Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo are excluded from the MyMcDonald’s Rewards programme under the current terms.

Eligible McDelivery orders placed through the official McDonald’s app can earn points.

How many points do I need for a Big Mac?

A Big Mac is currently listed in the 6,500-point reward tier on the UK Rewards Menu.

The Rewards Menu can change, so treat this as the current threshold rather than a permanent guarantee.

How many points do I need for McDonald’s fries?

Small Fries currently sit in the 2,000-point tier, while Medium Fries are currently in the 3,500-point tier.

The available Rewards Menu can change over time.

Can I earn points while using a reward?

Yes. You can redeem a reward and still earn points on eligible menu-item spending in the same transaction.

The normal eligibility rules still apply to the spending that earns points.

Where can I see when my points expire?

Open Rewards & Offers and go to View History. This is where you can check the relevant history and expiry information associated with your points.

Official information checked

The factual rules in this guide are based on the McDonald’s UK MyMcDonald’s Rewards Terms and McDonald’s UK Rewards FAQ information supplied for this guide.

Last checked: 7 October 2026

Rewards, participating products, charity partners, promotional bonuses and other app features can change. In particular, the Rewards Menu should be treated as changeable rather than a permanent list of entitlements.

Where this guide gives an opinion — such as whether to save for 6,500 points or use a lower-tier reward sooner — that is practical commentary rather than a McDonald’s rule.