Mcdonald's is giving MyMcDonald's Rewards members a free double cheeseburger on Friday, Sept. 18, but the deal comes with a catch: a minimum purchase of $1 and redemption in the McDonald's app.
That timing matters because Friday is National Cheeseburger Day, and fast-food chains are using the occasion to push one-day burger offers. In McDonald's case, the reward is limited to loyalty members, turning what looks like a celebration of a classic sandwich into a gated promotion for people already inside the app.
Mike Snider, the reporter who wrote about the deal, framed the day simply: if you prefer your hamburger topped with cheese, this Friday is a day to celebrate a food favorite. The numbers help explain why these promotions keep showing up. Americans consumed an average of 20 cheeseburgers from foodservice establishments over the 12-month period ending July 2026, or about 6.9 billion cheeseburgers. YouGov also gave cheeseburgers an 84% popularity ranking, tied with hamburgers and just behind grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries at 85%.
The holiday itself does not carry a deep official history, but the sandwich does. The hamburger rose in prominence at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, Pasadena, California, has a claim to the cheeseburger from 1924, and a Louisville, Kentucky, restaurant stakes its own claim from 1934. Those competing stories are part of why National Cheeseburger Day has become a marketing moment as much as a food tribute.
McDonald's is not alone in using the date. Wendy's is offering Wendy’s Rewards members a Dave’s Single Cheeseburger for $1.99 on Friday, Sept. 18, with any purchase. Carl’s Jr. is giving members of its rewards program half price on any burger on Thursday, Sept. 17, and Friday, Sept. 18, with the purchase of any Hand-Scooped Ice-Cream Shake. Hardee's has a buy one, get one free Famous Star cheeseburger deal for My Rewards members on Friday, Sept. 18, and Five Guys is running a buy one, get one free burger offer through Friday, Sept. 18.
For McDonald's, though, the line between a national food holiday and a real bargain is narrow. The free double cheeseburger is available only to members, only through the app, and only with that $1 purchase. Anyone looking for the offer will need to be in the loyalty program before Friday arrives; the rest get the celebration without the discount.
