McDonald’s changes the rules for earning points: millions of customers could lose rewards.

According to The Sun: Customers of McDonald's received a warning that they could lose all their points in the loyalty program due to important changes. The fast-food chain is introducing new rules that could lead to losing free items if action is not taken in a timely manner.

The company announced that the MyMcDonald's Rewards program will be updated. Now, points will have a validity period of six months from the moment they are earned, instead of 12, as it was before. This innovation will take effect from December 30th and will apply to all who already have points, as well as those who will earn them in the future.

“We are updating MyMcDonald's Rewards. As part of the latest update, we will change the validity period of your points.”

“Starting from December 30, 2025, all points will expire six calendar months from the moment they are earned. This applies to both existing and future points, so all points earned before June 30, 2025, will expire on January 1, 2026, if you do not use them by that time!”

“We always want to know what our customers think and continue to provide what they expect.”

What are the changes in the McDonald's loyalty program?

The MyMcDonald's Rewards system started in 2022. Customers can earn points through the app or when ordering at restaurants. For every pound spent, they receive 100 points. There are also bonus offers to increase the number of points, for example, an additional 100 points can be earned by purchasing Mayo Chicken or Filet-O-Fish.

By accumulating a certain number of points, for example, 1500, a customer can exchange them for a free coffee or small fries.

Other changes at McDonald's

This news comes after McDonald's quickly removed a new product from the menu just days after its launch. The new Caramel Loaded McFlurry was added to the menu on September 10 but was removed due to a 'quality control issue'.

Instead, the company announced that it is bringing back the beloved dessert — Toffee Crisp McFlurry.

The Caramel Loaded McFlurry cost £2.49 and included caramel cubes, white chocolate pieces, chocolate shavings, and caramel sauce over ice cream.

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McDonald's fans described the new version of the dessert as 'surprising' and '10 out of 10', praising the combination of chocolate and caramel flavors. However, some also expressed concerns that the caramel pieces were 'hard', and one user reported that they damaged a tooth.

“I just broke a tooth on the hard caramel pieces in the McFlurry, they don’t even chew,” he wrote on Facebook.

“Be careful, the caramel pieces in it are so hard that you can break teeth.”

Changes to the loyalty program have sparked mixed reactions among customers. On one hand, shortening the validity period of points may encourage more active usage, however, many guests express concerns about potential losses. The development of the new menu also indicates that the company seeks to balance product quality with consumer expectations, observing customer feedback. This may suggest that McDonald's is trying to adapt to the tastes of its fans in a changing fast-food market.