Yes, McDonald’s takes Apple Pay in the McDonald’s app. McDonald’s says Apple Pay shows up as a payment option in the app on its own once your card is in Apple Wallet, and its delivery page says you can use it for McDelivery too.
The counter, drive-thru and kiosk are a different story. McDonald’s doesn’t publish what its restaurants accept, and most are run by independent franchisees. Apple listed McDonald’s among the retailers taking Apple Pay on launch day in October 2014, but the card reader in front of you has the final word, the same as at other stores that accept Apple Pay.
Yes in the McDonald’s app. At the restaurant, look for the contactless symbol on the card reader.
Where McDonald’s takes Apple Pay
Here is each way to order and what McDonald’s says about it as of this update. Where McDonald’s is silent, we say so instead of guessing.
| How you order | Apple Pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| McDonald’s app, pickup order | Yes | McDonald’s says Apple Pay shows up as a payment option in its app once your card is in Apple Wallet. At participating restaurants. |
| McDelivery in the McDonald’s app | Yes | McDonald’s delivery page says you can pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay. Arch Card balance cannot be used for delivery. |
| Front counter | Check at register | McDonald’s does not publish payment types for its restaurants. Tap if the card reader shows the contactless symbol. |
| Drive-thru | Check at window | Same rule at the window. Or order ahead in the app, pay with Apple Pay there and pick up in the drive-thru with a code. |
| Kiosk | Check the reader | McDonald’s says kiosks take physical Arch Cards. It does not mention phone wallets. |
| Uber Eats, DoorDash or Grubhub | Varies by app | You pay the delivery app, not McDonald’s. Uber Eats and Grubhub both say they accept Apple Pay. With DoorDash, look for it at checkout. |
Apple Pay at the McDonald’s drive-thru
McDonald’s doesn’t list payment types for the drive-thru. If the reader at the window shows the contactless symbol (four curved lines) or the Apple Pay logo, hold your iPhone or Apple Watch near it. Apple warns that some readers show the symbol before contactless is switched on, so bring a card the first time.
One route is confirmed. Order ahead in the app, pay with Apple Pay at checkout and pick Drive Thru as your pickup method. McDonald’s charges you when you place the order and gives you a code to read out when you pull up.
Apple Pay in the McDonald’s app
This is the part McDonald’s spells out. If your card is in Apple Wallet, Apple Pay appears as a payment option in the McDonald’s app automatically. It covers Mobile Order & Pay pickup (curbside, front counter, table service or drive-thru) and McDelivery ordered inside the app.
McDonald’s app payment FAQ also lists Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards, Google Pay on Android, PayPal, Venmo and your Arch Card balance.
Apple Pay at a McDonald’s kiosk or the front counter
McDonald’s says its kiosks and front counters take physical Arch Cards, which are its gift cards. It doesn’t mention phone wallets. The rule is the same as at the window: if the card reader shows the contactless symbol, tap. If it doesn’t, order in the app, pay with Apple Pay there, and pick up at the front counter or have the food brought to your table.
How to earn MyMcDonald’s Rewards points with Apple Pay
Points come from identifying your account, not from how you pay. MyMcDonald’s Rewards gives you 100 points for every $1 you spend on eligible items, and rewards start at 1,500 points.
In the app, points post automatically, including on orders you pay for with Apple Pay. At the restaurant, open the Earn Points tab first. Give the crew your 4-digit code at the drive-thru speaker, or scan your code at the counter or kiosk, before you order. Then pay.
Forgot the code? Keep the paper receipt. You can add missing points in the app for up to seven days, one receipt every 30 days.
McDonald’s has its own way to pay by phone too. Link a credit or debit card in the app, and the same code pays for the order and earns the points. As of this update, the first payment with a linked card earns 1,500 bonus points through December 31, 2026, at participating restaurants.
Orders placed in the Uber Eats, DoorDash or Grubhub apps don’t earn McDonald’s points. McDelivery orders placed in the McDonald’s app do.
Other ways to pay at McDonald’s
These are the payment types McDonald’s names on its U.S. help pages.
| Payment | What McDonald’s says |
|---|---|
| Credit and debit cards | Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover can be registered in the app. The card has to be issued by a U.S. bank. |
| Google Pay | A payment option in the app on Android phones, and for McDelivery ordered in the app. |
| PayPal and Venmo | Available in the app with Mobile Order & Pay. |
| Arch Card (gift card) | Physical cards work at the drive-thru, front counter and kiosk. In the app, load the funds to your Arch Card Balance for pickup orders. It cannot pay for McDelivery. |
| Samsung Pay and cash | Neither is mentioned on McDonald’s help pages. App orders are charged to a card or wallet when you place them, so cash is not an option there. |
At the restaurant, card networks and phone wallets come down to the reader. Apple says to ask your card issuer whether a card works with Apple Pay, which is worth doing before you open one of the best checking accounts if tapping to pay matters to you.
Can you use Apple Cash at McDonald’s?
Apple says yes, wherever Apple Pay is accepted. Apple Cash is a digital card in Apple Wallet that you can spend with Apple Pay in stores, online and in apps. In the McDonald’s app, choose Apple Pay at checkout and switch to your Apple Cash card before you confirm. At a contactless reader, tap your default card on the screen and pick Apple Cash first.
MoreATMs that take Apple Pay near you
How to use Apple Pay at McDonald’s
First, add a card. In the Wallet app, tap the Add Card button, choose Debit or Credit Card and follow the steps. Then pay at the reader. These are Apple’s own steps.
- iPhone with Face ID: double-click the side button, then look at your phone or enter your passcode.
- iPhone with Touch ID: double-click the Home button.
- Apple Watch: double-click the side button. Your default card opens on its own.
- Hold the top of your iPhone, or the display of your watch, near the reader. On the phone you will see Done and a checkmark. On the watch you will feel a tap and hear a beep.
In the McDonald’s app, choose Apple Pay as your payment method at checkout and confirm it the same way.
Apple doesn’t charge anything to pay with Apple Pay. Your card works the way it always does, so any fees and rewards come from your bank. Here is how to avoid bank fees if yours charges more than it should.
McDonald’s Apple Pay FAQ
McDonald’s does not publish payment types for the drive-thru, so check the reader at the window for the contactless symbol. One way is confirmed: order ahead in the McDonald’s app, pay with Apple Pay, choose Drive Thru pickup and give the crew your code.
McDonald’s does not say on its U.S. help pages. Apple says Apple Pay works wherever you see the contactless symbol, so look for it on the card reader. Apple also warns that some readers show the symbol before contactless is switched on.
Yes, as long as McDonald’s can tie the order to your account. App orders earn points automatically. At the restaurant, give your 4-digit code or scan from the Earn Points tab before you order. You earn 100 points for every $1 spent on eligible items.
Apple says you can spend Apple Cash with Apple Pay in stores, online and in apps, so it works wherever Apple Pay works at McDonald’s, including the McDonald’s app. Pick your Apple Cash card before you confirm the payment.
Google Pay, yes in the app. McDonald’s lists it as a payment method in its app on Android and for McDelivery. McDonald’s help pages do not mention Samsung Pay. At the restaurant, both depend on the reader taking contactless payments.
PayPal and Venmo, yes in the app for mobile orders. McDonald’s does not list Cash App Pay. The Cash App Card is a Visa debit card, and McDonald’s says Visa cards issued by a U.S. bank can be registered in its app.
In the app, yes. McDonald’s lists Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover as the cards you can register, as long as a U.S. bank issued the card. It does not publish which card networks its restaurants take.
Apple does not charge for it. Apple says there are no fees when you pay with Apple Pay in stores, online or in apps. Your card issuer’s usual fees and rewards still apply.
Payment options change, and most McDonald’s restaurants are independently owned. This page reflects what McDonald’s and Apple publish on their own sites as of this update. If a reader does not respond to your phone, pay with a card and use the app next time.
