Does McDonald’s Accept EBT and Accept American Express?

Imagine you are passing by a McDonald’s chain, and you suddenly see someone coming out of the door with a choco cone in hand. You immediately crave the sweet goodness of McFlurry, and you enter McDonald’s.

But while you are ordering, you find out that McDonald’s does not accept your credit card and has no cash. It’s a bummer, isn’t it? So, just to be on the safe side, you should always know about the modes of transaction that McDonald’s accepts.

McDonald’s accepts payments from the American Express card when talking about American Express, just like other big food chains such as Taco Bell and Burger King. But when it comes to EBT, McDonald’s does not accept it at all. So, keep reading to know if McDonald’s accepts EBT and American Express?

McDonald’s Payments Through EBT Card

EBT cardholders often find it confusing to figure out whether they can pay at McDonald’s through their card or not. You cannot pay at McDonald’s through your EBT card to everyone’s surprise.

EBT card does not work in the drive-through either, and you cannot make it work in the stores because the employees won’t accept payments through this card. Any fast-food chain is not allowed to accept payments through EBT, or they would have to face some sort of penalty.

It should be noted that you may still be able to use an EBT card for payment at McDonald’s in certain cities and states. But only in the cities that are participating in the Restaurant Meals Programs.

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Also, you should know that RMP is only for homeless or elderly people, so you might still not be eligible to use the EBT card in any state. The RMP works in California and Arizona, and EBT cards work perfectly in these states.

Why Does an EBT Card Not Work at McDonald’s?

We know that the EBT card does not work at McDonald’s, but there is a reason behind it. In reality, there are two reasons behind it. So, let’s find out the reasons why EBT cards do not work at McDonald’s.

●    EBT is New

It is a significant and crucial reason. EBT is relatively new compared to other payment methods in the market. So, food chains are not putting all their eggs in the EBT basket because it is in the developmental stages yet.

Also, before EBT is allowed to make direct payments to an international food chain like McDonald’s, it needs to sort out many things, and for now, most people are not really understanding the system with which EBT works.

So, it would be difficult for EBT to prove itself in the competition and improve its brand image in a place that is filled with experienced digital payment methods. But we got to appreciate the ideology behind EBT.

Governmental Restrictions

Yes, you read it right. The government has put restrictions on the EBT card, and now you can only pay for certain things through this payment method. Only things like dairy, grains, fruits, veggies, and bakery items are allowed to be bought with the EBT card.

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And the government does not allow its citizens to pay for tobacco, wine, pet food, and fast food at all. So, it is completely justified why McDonald’s does not allow payments through EBT as they are not allowed to do so, and currently, the EBT payment method has a lot of restrictions.

It could still change in the future, and if it does, then McDonald’s would not have any problem accepting the payments through EBT, so don’t lose hope.

McDonald’s Payments Through American Express

We are searching for the answer: does McDonald’s accept EBT and accept American Express? McDonald’s accepts American Express, and most well-known food chains also accept it as a standard payment method. You can also pay through American Express online at McDonald’s, drive-through and ensure hassle-free delivery.

McDonald’s accepts the American Express card at all of its branches, and there are card readers where you can pay through American Express. If you have any difficulty initiating the payment method, McDonald’s has the finest customer service too.

McDonald’s also accepts American Express cards at the drive-through without any hassle. All you need to do is give your card to the employee in the drive-through, and they will handle the rest. Also, most people assume that paying in the drive-through with an American Express card would be a hassle, but it hardly takes a couple of seconds.

Are American Express Gift Cards Acceptable at McDonald’s?

American Express is a long-lost partner of McDonald’s drive-through, so McDonald’s accepts all kinds of gift cards from it. The gift cards do not have rocket science behind them and would work the same way as the other cards do.

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You can also use the gift card at all the places that accept American Express cards which is a huge relief for people. There obviously is a drawback of using the gift card: the user himself cannot dispute the card at all, and it can only be done by the merchant or, in our case, by McDonald’s.

Cards that McDonald’s Accepts

We are listing all the cards that McDonald’s accepts so you can pick and choose easily. So, dive right into it.

  • Mastercard
  • American Express
  • Arch Gift Cards
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Visa
  • Discover
  • Samsung Pay

Conclusion

The answer to does McDonald’s accepts EBT and accepts American Express is pretty straightforward, and it is better to go for American Express if you are a frequent fast food eater. EBT, on the other hand, is a pretty advanced payment method but it has some restrictions and cannot be used for payment in any fast-food restaurants.

So, we hope you have your answer now so if you already have an American Express card, rush to your nearest McDonald’s and have a Big Mac because what is stopping you from doing that?