Does McDonald’s Accept American Express? (Your Full Guide)

A lot of people tend to carry credit and debit cards over cash these days, but it can be hard to know which fast-food restaurants take certain cards like American Express.

Have you been asking yourself does McDonald’s accepts American Express as a form of payment? We’ve got the answer to that question, plus where you can use it, so read on!

Does McDonald’s Accept American Express?

Fortunately, McDonald’s does accept American Express as a form of payment, along with several other restaurants such as Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A, and Burger King. Even better, McDonald’s has been moving to contactless card reading with the Mobile Order & Pay app, so you can deal with payment before you get to the store.

Are you wondering more specific questions about McDonald’s and how you can use American Express at the fast-food chain? Keep reading to learn even more!

Does McDonald’s Accept American Express In-Store?

McDonald’s accepts American Express in all of its fast-food locations as they have multiple card readers available to serve customers at the service counter. 

Furthermore, McDonald’s has been leading the way in cashless payment options since they began taking credit cards and debit cards back in 2004.

Does McDonald’s Accept American Express at the Drive-Thru?

McDonald’s will take American Express at the drive-thru, and you just have to hand your card to the McDonald’s employee so that they can run the card at their cash register inside the window.

Does McDonald’s Accept American Express Gift Cards?

McDonald’s also accepts American Express gift cards, which will work the same way a traditional American Express credit card works.

Furthermore, you can run the American Express gift card through as a credit or debit, and it’s accepted anywhere that American Express is accepted.

However, if you use an American Express gift card, you cannot dispute the charge with American Express, and the charge can only be disputed through the merchant, such as McDonald’s.

What Cards Does McDonald’s Accept?

What Cards Does McDonald’s Accept?

McDonald’s accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and Arch gift cards and will also accept Apple Pay or Google Pay.

However, if you live within the United States, your credit card or debit card must be issued by an American bank for McDonald’s to accept it.

In addition to that, if you use an American Express gift card, you can only use this card within the United States as it’s not valid outside of the country.

Other Fast Food Restaurants That Accept American Express

Fortunately, there are several different restaurants that accept American Express credit cards, including:

  • Applebee’s
  • Arby’s
  • Buffalo Wild Wings
  • Burger King
  • Chick-fil-A
  • Chili’s
  • Chipotle
  • Cracker Barrel
  • Domino’s
  • Dunkin’
  • Five Guys
  • In-N-Out
  • Jack in the Box
  • Olive Garden
  • Panda Express
  • Panera Bread
  • Papa John’s
  • QDOBA Mexican Eats
  • Sonic
  • Starbucks
  • Subway
  • Taco Bell
  • Wendy’s
  • Whataburger

Can You Use American Express Points at McDonald’s?

American Express and McDonald’s teamed up back in 2014, which allows you to use your American Express Points to purchase food and drink items at American McDonald’s locations.

Additionally, in order to use your points, you must be enrolled in the Membership Rewards Points Program.

In addition to that, if you use your American Express Points at McDonald’s, American Express is going to donate $1 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Furthermore, American Express donating to the Ronald McDonald House Charities means that children will be directly positively impacted by your decision to use your points at McDonald’s.

To know more about McDonald’s payment methods, you can also see our posts on whether or not McDonald’s takes EBT, whether McDonald’s takes Apple Pay, and whether McDonald’s accepts Venmo.

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Marques Thomas

Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Since then, Marques has worked in the retail and consumer service industry as a manager, advisor, and marketer. Marques is also the head writer and founder of QuerySprout.com.

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