Where to buy
At the counter in most restaurants, and online through the gift card section of mcdonalds.com. Online orders let you choose the amount rather than a fixed denomination.
Updated 20 July 2026
McDonald's Gift Card
McDonald's calls it the Arch Card. No expiry, no fees, and it spends like cash. The useful question is what a given value actually buys, and that is worked out below from real menu prices.
No fees Purchase or dormancy The full value stays on the card
No expiry Balance never lapses Years later it still holds its value
$5.29 Cheapest full meal Sausage Biscuit Meal Deal
In app Works with Mobile Order Add the card and pay from it
What Each Card Value Buys
Worked out against the prices on this site, using the cheapest full meal and then the cheapest individual item. Change left over is shown, because a card rarely divides evenly.
| Card value | Full meals it covers | Or single items | Change left |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | 1 × Sausage Biscuit Meal Deal | 7 × Apple Slices | $4.71 |
| $25.00 | 4 × Sausage Biscuit Meal Deal | 12 × Apple Slices | $3.84 |
| $50.00 | 9 × Sausage Biscuit Meal Deal | 12 × Apple Slices | $2.39 |
Prices vary between restaurants, so treat these counts as a close guide. Every figure comes from the same data as the 130 priced items on this site.
Buying and Using an Arch Card
Checking the balance
Online with the card number and the PIN from the back, or by asking before you order. Neither costs anything.
Adding it to the app
The card can be stored in the McDonald's app and used for Mobile Order and Pay, which also earns rewards points on the same order.
Where it does not work
Third party delivery platforms take their own payment methods, so an Arch Card cannot be spent there. A small number of franchises also opt out.
Splitting a payment
A nearly empty card can cover part of an order with the remainder paid another way, so no balance has to go to waste.
No cash back
The balance is spent on food only. There is no route back to cash, which is worth knowing before buying a larger value than someone will use.
Making the Balance Go Further
Pay in the app, not on a delivery platform. Delivery menus are priced above the counter before fees, so the same card covers noticeably fewer meals when it is spent that way. Mobile Order and Pay uses the restaurant's own menu and earns rewards points at the same time.
A meal bundle also stretches a card further than the same items bought separately. The deals page has that comparison for every meal on the menu.
Checking a McDonald's Gift Card Balance
Three ways, none of which needs a phone call: ask at any register, add the card to the McDonald's app and read the balance there, or check it on the Arch Card page of mcdonalds.com with the card and PIN numbers.
The fine print is friendlier than most gift cards. Arch Cards carry no purchase fee beyond the loaded value, no maintenance fees that eat the balance, and no expiration date, so a card found in a drawer two years later still spends in full. What they do not do is work abroad: a US Arch Card spends at participating US restaurants only, and cash redemption is limited to what individual state law requires.
Gift Card Questions
What is a McDonald's gift card called?
The Arch Card. It is McDonald's own prepaid card in the United States, sold in restaurants and online, and it works like cash at participating locations. Some franchises do not take it, which is the one thing worth checking before you rely on it somewhere specific.
How do I check my Arch Card balance?
Through the gift card section of mcdonalds.com, or by asking at the counter before you order. The card number and the PIN on the back are what the online check asks for. A balance check does not cost anything and does not use up the card.
Do Arch Cards expire or lose value?
No. McDonald's Arch Cards carry no expiry date and no dormancy or inactivity fee, so a card found in a drawer years later still holds whatever was left on it. That is not true of every gift card, which is why it is worth stating.
What does a $25 McDonald’s gift card buy?
About 4 full meals. Sausage Biscuit Meal Deal is the cheapest meal at $5.29, so a $25 card covers 4 of them with $3.84 left over. The table on this page works the same sum for $10 and $50.
Can I use a gift card on the app or for delivery?
Arch Cards can be added to the McDonald's app and spent on Mobile Order and Pay, including its delivery option. Third party delivery platforms take their own payment methods instead, so a card cannot be used there. Ordering through the app is also what earns rewards points.
Can I get cash back from an Arch Card?
No. The balance stays on the card and is spent on food, and there is no refund route back to cash. If a card is nearly empty you can pay the difference on an order with another method rather than leaving the remainder stranded.
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