McDonald’s Corp. has expanded the U.S. test of its MyMcDonald’s rewards program, first announced last fall, to the New England area from its initial tryout in Arizona and Nevada, the company said this week.
The Chicago-based burger giant unveiled its plans for a domestic rewards program during an “Accelerating the Arches” online investor conference last November, which also foreshadowed such initiatives as a new crispy chicken sandwich.
The company said MyMcDonald’s includes a suite of integrated digital tools and offers that give customers more personalization, more convenience and more value. The company plans to roll out the rewards program to the U.S. system later this year.
The company has a rewards programs abroad in some countries, such as those in the United Arab Emirates and Canada. It also has a rewards program for its McCafé drinks.
“This is the next step in McDonald's digital journey as we evolve the customer experience to meet their needs,” the company noted of the loyalty program test. The platform also includes personalized suggestions on what to order, allows for sending customers targeted offers and offers options for patrons pick up their food such as through delivery, drive thru or curbside.
“Our customers have been clear, they want even easier ways to order a Big Mac and world famous fries and to be rewarded for their loyalty,” said Alycia Mason, McDonald’s U.S. vice president for digital customer experience and media, in a statement.
“We’ve started tests in Arizona, Nevada and New England, where customers can earn points for their purchase and redeem those points for one of their favorite menu items,” Mason said. ‘These tests are the first step to gather valuable customer feedback ahead of a nationwide launch later this year.”
The company did not expand on which New England states are getting the test expansion.
Available through the McDonald’s smartphone app, customers get points for every dollar they spend. Customers can redeem points for qualifying items.
“The tests enable us to collect valuable and real-time feedback from our customers to support our efforts to build a loyalty program that meets our customer’s needs,” the company said.
“So far we’ve heard that more than 85% of MyMcDonald’s Rewards members participating in the pilot tests report they are satisfied with the program to date.”
McDonald’s has about 14,000 restaurants in the United States and 36,000 worldwide.
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