McDonald’s Tries Out 'McD' Coupon App in Select Markets
The fast food chain is expanding its app offering with a coupon app available in about 1000 of its 34,500 locations.
The fast food chain is expanding its app offering with a coupon app available in about 1000 of its 34,500 locations.
Quick service behemoth McDonald’s is testing out a mobile coupon app.
According to a rep, the app is available in approximately 1000 U.S. locations.
“The McD App sends customers offers to redeem with their phone in participating restaurants,” the rep writes in an email. “It allows them to customize their offer, location and communication preferences, and the offers are sharable with friends and family.”
According to mobile platform provider Mowingo, which says it powers the app, users simply click “redeem” on offers when ordering and show their devices to cashiers. Mowingo also says customers can use the app to flag their favorite menu items to get the most relevant offers.
Tweets hastening consumers to check out the #McDApp go back to at least November 2012, per @Mowingo’s feed.
According to iTunes, McD App offers are now available in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the St. Louis metro area, New England and Albany, NY.
While the rep notes, “It’s premature to speculate on the future of the McD App,” she also says, “We are excited to bring a cutting-edge experience in the future to our customers.”
Google Play also has a My McDonald’s Offers app for the mid-Missouri market, which has 1000 to 5000 downloads. According to Google, customers who pick up a Near-Field Communication, or NFC, card, download the My McDonald’s Offers app and tell McDonald’s which foods they like will receive offers on their smartphones.
“You decide which offers you want,” McDonald’s says. “Then head to a participating McDonald’s, place your order, tap your card, redeem your offer… and enjoy. Plus, if your phone is NFC enabled, you can tap your phone instead of a card.”
According to the brand, NFC “allows for wireless data exchange between two NFC-enabled items in close proximity to each other.”
“We’re always looking at new technologies to make the McDonald’s experience better for our customers,” the rep adds about the McD App.
McDonald’s has 30 million likes and 2 million followers.
According to Google Play, McDonald’s USA’s official mobile app helps consumers find their nearest restaurant, get nutrition information, check for employment opportunities and get the latest promotions. It has between 100,000 and 500,000 downloads.
The brand also offers a McPlay App for kids, which also has 100,000 to 500,000 downloads, as per Google Play.
“Bring the fun of Happy Meal with you, anytime and anywhere, with the new McPlay App,” the brand says. “Kicking-off with Happy Ball, kids will love this high-bouncing, quick-thinking puzzle game that makes playing with food-fun.”
In October, McDonald’s appointed Atif Rafiq chief digital officer. In a press release, the brand said Rafiq will focus on growth in “e-commerce, modernizing the restaurant experience, and engaging with consumers across the digital landscape.”