Americans marking National Cheeseburger Day on Friday can find free and discounted burgers at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Five Guys and other chains, but many of the offers only work through apps or loyalty programs and several come with a minimum purchase.
At McDonald's, members of MyMcDonald's Rewards can get a free Double Cheeseburger on Friday with a minimum $1 purchase through the McDonald's app. A company spokesperson said the chain wanted fans to come in, add a Double Cheeseburger to a drink, snack or meal, and celebrate the holiday with them, while also pointing shoppers to the app for deals every week.
Burger King is running a week of Royal Perks offers built around the holiday. On Friday, Royal Perks members can receive a free Bacon Cheeseburger with a $3 minimum purchase through the Burger King app. The chain's lineup continues on Sept. 19 with a free four-piece Chicken Nuggets offer with a $3 purchase, then on Sept. 20 with a free Original Chicken Sandwich with a $3 purchase.
Wendy's is taking a different approach. Wendy's Rewards members can add a Dave's Single Cheeseburger for $1.99 with any purchase through the chain's app or website at participating U.S. locations. At Buffalo Wild Wings, customers at participating locations can get a free cheeseburger with the purchase of another regularly priced cheeseburger, though the offer cannot be combined with other discounts and excludes lunch combos and kids' menu burgers.
That is the catch in most of Friday's burger hunt: the free items are not always fully free. Some require a membership, some require a purchase and some are limited to participating locations, which means the best deals are less a handout than a tradeoff built to drive app traffic and repeat visits. For anyone searching for a burger near me on Friday, the real question is not whether a deal exists, but which one clears the small print first.
