Wendy’s is the latest fast food chain to roll out a rewards program called simply ‘Wendy’s Rewards‘. The program is revenue based with every $1 spent earning 10 points (gift cards are excluded from earning points). If you order through the app or website with a linked account you automatically earn points, if ordering in restaurant you’ll be required to scan a QR code found in the Wendy’s app to earn points. Currently points can be redeemed for the following:
- Small frosty = 150 points
- 4pc Chicken nuggets = 150 points
- Sausage biscuit = 150 points
- Small seasoned breakfast potatoes = 200 points
- Small fry = 200 points
- Jr. bacon cheeseburger = 300 points
- Honey butter chicken biscuit = 400 points
- Breakfast baconator = 450 points
- Dave’s single = 450 points
- Premium chicken sandwich = 500 points
- Baconator = 700 points
- Full size salad = 700 points
Wendy’s also states that the rewards options will change over time to keep things fresh and there will be limited time opportunities to earn more points than normal as well. Your first order will receive 2x points. This seems like a weak incentive to sign up for the program so it might make sense to watch until there is one before signing up.
I’ll take a moment to point out the negative utility of acquiring more fast food.
Look, I get it, people like to treat themselves. Ok, fine. But then the rate at which you’re treating yourself really shouldn’t correspond to meaningful rewards.
If fast food truly is a once-in-a-while thing for you, the frequency with which you eat fast food should be small and Wendy’s even smaller. This program should be so de minimus you wouldn’t bother.
If it IS actually significant and you see yourself picking up FREE sandwiches from this program once a week, once a month or two, maybe you’re eating too much Wendy’s. In which case you probably DON’T want incentives to go to Wendy’s more often or get food you might not have been willing to pay for.
In which case downloading the app really isn’t that great of a deal.
Doctoral thesis much?
I never gotten the appeal of fast food. It tastes bad, it smells bad, it looks bad, and I feel bad after eating it.
Why do people like this stuff so much?
I take it you’ve never had the Spicy Chicken sandwich from Wendy’s if you feel that way.
Just Fyi… the Square Cash app frequently offers cash back at Wendy’s. If you’re gonna go… might as well stack!! John 3:16
Have you checked out the oxygen card? You might like it as an alternative to cash apps card
Wendy for President!
I also want to point out that Taco Bell launched a beta version of their rewards program. I got an email yesterday to enroll. Not sure if this was mentioned before.
Ugh, more corporate pseudocurrency… whatever, my fatass might as well get sum
Helps me keep my USBank Cash+ 5% cashback at fastfood flowing too 🙂
I love that Chikfila has reward tiers… gotta go for that RED STATUS
Being a loyal reader of DoC and a big reward program nerd, I find these fast food offers curious.
The % reward here is pretty strong – roughly 10% return with very low thresholds. For example, a meal for two gets you enough points for a small snack on the side. This is great compared to the travel rewards which tend to require multiple years’ trips for a leisure traveler before anything useful is earned. However… I don’t find myself excited about these. Whenever I choose to eat fast food, I chuckle at how much money I already save compared to alternatives (real restaurants). The thought of additional incentive, whether it’s a free whopper or ability to earn some extra nuggets, just seem to provide no incremental value.
This comment isn’t to knock these programs at all, but a mere reflection of the psychological aspect of reward programs.
I mean, I take full advantage of Starbucks (at least pre-COVID) because they offered a high quality reward program, and their competitors are less ubiquitous or don’t offer rewards. Wendy’s competes with McDonald’s, which are more prevalent in my area, and McD rewards may not be great but they offer more coupons than Wendy does.
Yeah, I noticed it came out to about 10% too. Percentage is great, but the actual $ amount isn’t enough to motivate me to go the hassle of pulling up an app every tme
The Wendy’s app actually has some great deals. You should check it out.
I’m only interested in the “free premium breakfast sandwich w/ any mobile order” offers.
there was a free chicken sandwich with mobile order offer that i took advantage, but then the next week when I went to go use it on my partner’s phone, it was pulled/expired.
Seems on par with Chick-fil-A where you earn 11 pts per dollar and redemptions are almost the same 200=small fry 500=Chicken sandwich.
But it does seem that Wendy’s in app offers (digital coupons for discounted, BOGO or free item with purchase) and cheaper prices may offer a slight advantage.
Get a side of Covid with Chick-fil-A from what I’m reading about in Colorado.
COVID and a shoeshine to boot.
Its kinda of scary that we could end up just with Chain and Fastfood restaurants post COVID. Reading that 50% of Yelp listed F&B that were listed as temporary closed have changed to permanently closed.
Figure that today’s $10 lunch will be $20 in five years with all the inflation in our future. The $5 lunch before the Great recession is now a $10 lunch on average.
I remember as a poor college student going to Subway for $1.99~2.99 footlongs. They gave you a stamp card (with stamps you licked to apply to the card.
Foodie despair ahead.
Effectively, 10% cash back. You get points in increments of 1 per $0.10 actually.
pretty good in addition to stacking with their existing deals, oxygen card for $1 off, and stock from bumped. Quadruple dip
Seems like you’re just automatically enrolled if you use the app for offers.