Martin Lewis' MSE warns McDonald’s customers over big change happening next week

McDonald’s customers are being warned about an upcoming change to how it offers freebies - and here's how to avoid missing out.

As you may know, McDonald's runs a free coffee scheme for regular customers allowing them to collect stamps to get their hands on a freebie.

Currently, with every hot drink you buy you get a stamp - if you collect five stamps you can then claim a free one.

However, that’s all set to change on 1 November, MoneySavingExpert warns - so if you’ve still got some stamps you'll need to use them up fast or transfer them over to the new scheme.

After 31 October, the old stamp system will be scrapped and to get yourself a free coffee, you’ll need to sign up to MyMcDoanld’s Rewards.

If you already have fewer than five stamps saved up you can transfer these to points in your MyMcDoanld’s Rewards account - each stamp will bag you 300 points and is valid for up to a year.

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If you’ve got a free drink voucher that you’re yet to redeem, this will be added to your MyMcDoanld’s account, but it must be used before the end of the year.

The MoneySavingExpert has also crunched the numbers to reveal that customers will actually have to part with more money to get their free coffee after 31 October.

Under the old scheme, you’d pay between £4.95 and £9.95 - depending on what drink you bought - before you got yourself a freebie.

However, with MyMcDoanld’s Rewards, you’ll need a minimum of 1,500 points to get a free drink - and with £1 being worth 100 points, it means you’ll need to spend £15 before you've saved up enough.

But unlike with the stamps, the points earned can be spent on loads of menu items - not just hot drinks.

Alex Segre / Alamy Stock Photo

For 1,500 you’ll get the aforementioned hot beverage, or you can pick up small fries, medium salad, mini McFlurry or a hash brown.

For 2,500 points you can grab a free bacon mayo chicken burger, vegetable deluxe burger, medium fries, cheesy bacon flatbread, or a double cheeseburger.

And if you manage to save up 4,500 points you can choose from a Big Mac, double sausage and egg McMuffin, large crispy chicken salad, six chicken McNuggets or a McChicken sandwich.

To sign up you’ll need to download the McDonald’s app, sign up and make sure you opt-in to MyMcDonald’s Rewards.