{
  "id": 10909566,
  "title": "Why McDonald’s, Dunkin’, Starbucks, and other chains keep making their rewards programs worse—and getting away with it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/why-mcdonalds-dunkin-starbucks-and-other-chains-keep-making-their",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-30T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91607721/mcdonalds-dunkin-starbucks-other-chains-rewards-programs-worse-getting-away-with-it-restaurant-loyalty"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The fast-food industry has long been known for its loyalty programs, but in recent years, major chains like McDonald's, Dunkin', Starbucks, and others have been making their rewards programs worse. This trend has continued unabated, leaving many customers confused and frustrated.\n\nAaron Braun, an IT professional who used to earn points through his employer's Dunkin' Rewards account, recently found his balance had been reduced by over 63,800 points, amounting to roughly $250 worth of coffees. The company's decision to cancel points more than a year old left Braun feeling cheated and questioning the value of his rewards program.\n\nStarbucks has also made it harder for members to earn reward points, while Subway removed a free-footlong deal and replaced it with Subway Cash. McDonald's increased the number of points needed to earn a Big Mac from 1,000 to 7,000, or $70 in spending. Panera's Unlimited Sip Club now has a hard cap, leading members to seek workarounds.\n\nA recent survey by restaurant technology firm Tillster revealed that dissatisfaction with fast-food loyalty programs has nearly doubled over the past year, from 15% to 28%. Despite the industry's efforts to overhaul their rewards programs, many customers still find them unappealing and complicated.",
  "summary": "Aaron Braun had decided to play the long game with his Dunkin’ Rewards points. For five years, his employer, an IT company that kept him on the road, covered his coffee and breakfast via a company card linked to his Dunkin’ account, so he never bothered to redeem his points. In the Dunkin’ app, every purchase inches a progress bar further to the right, unlocking the first reward at 150 points,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}