McDonald's quietly makes major pricing change, adds value meals

In recent quarters, McDonald's CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski has talked a lot about value. He admitted that the chain had lost its focus as a value leader and took clear steps to address that. These included:

Bringing back the Snack Wrap at a $2.99 price point Adding more Value Meals Generally focusing on value offerings, not just in the United States, but all around the world

Those efforts have paid off.

"In the second quarter, McDonald's delivered global system-wide sales growth of over 6% in constant currency and global comparable sales growth of nearly 4%. This includes driving positive comparable guest counts globally despite a challenging backdrop for the industry," Kempczinski shared during the chain's second-quarter earnings call.

He specifically called out the chain's pricing as a reason for its sales growth in a challenging environment.

"In this landscape, the power of McDonald's value and affordability platforms, exciting marketing and menu offerings and world-class execution are working together to drive comparable sales results and guest count growth as we also accelerate new restaurant development," Kempczinski added.

Now, McDonald's is doubling down on value, by adding new Value Meals, and making another pricing change that may surprise some customers.

McDonald's adds a new pricing policy

McDonald's has become the latest chain to address the shortage of pennies caused by President Donald Trump's administration's decision to stop minting the coin. The fast-food chain has adopted a new rounding policy for people paying in cash.

These policies apply at some, but not all, McDonald's locations.

The policy only applies to cash payments. Digital, card, or app payments remain exact. Some locations are rounding the total up or down to the nearest 5 cents (a nickel) because of the shortage of pennies.
Example: A bill of $12.06 might be rounded down to $12.05 when paying in cash. This rounding practice is part of a broader trend called “cash rounding” (or Swedish rounding) when small‑denomination coins are phased out. McDonald’s publicly acknowledged they are “working on long‑term solutions” with the federal government and that this is an issue affecting many retailers.
Sources: People.com, FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU)Snack Wraps are being sold at $2.99, which McDonald's considers a key value price point.Chip East/Bloomberg via Getty Image

McDonald's bets big on value

Value isn't just a core principle for McDonald's. It's something customers are demanding right now.

"Nearly 80% of Americans said they feel fast food has become a luxury and are eating out less," according to a recent LendingTree survey.

Kempczinski also addressed a trend that his company (and the entire fast-food space) has been seeing.

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"Overall QSR traffic in the U.S. remained challenging as visits across the industry by low-income consumers once again declined by double digits versus the prior year period. Reengaging the low-income consumer is critical, as they typically visit our restaurants more frequently than middle- and high-income consumers," he shared.

That makes value especially important for the chain, and McDonald's has worked to deliver that.

"Starting Nov. 4, Sausage, Egg and Cheese McGriddles and 10-piece Chicken McNuggets will be added to the Extra Value menu for a limited time," the chain shared in a press release.

"Bringing back Extra Value Meals reflects the company and franchisees’ shared commitment to offering everyday affordable prices,” said McDonald’s Owner/Operator and National Franchisee Leadership Alliance (NFLA) Chair Danielle Marasco. “We’re working together to keep the menu items our customers love affordable for everyone in the communities we serve.”

Related: Iconic 115-year-old restaurant files Chapter 11 bankruptcy

The chain will also offer some other special deals.

"But the savings don't stop there. On National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day, which falls on Nov. 9, customers can purchase a $2 McCrispy Sandwich exclusively through the McDonald's App," USA Today reported.

McDonald's focuses on value

Value is something analysts see as a core part of the McDonald's offering.

“This has always been an industry where value is critically important,” Sara Senatore, senior analyst at Bank of America Securities, told CNBC. “We’re seeing what I would characterize as a little bit more of a return to normal.”

Kempczinski has promised that the chain will keep its focus on value.

"In this environment, we will continue to remain agile with respect to our value offerings to ensure the U.S. strengthens its leadership in value and affordability. Overall, we've made good progress with our value offerings," he added.

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The CEO also acknowledged that Value Meals do not tell the full story when it comes to how consumers see the brand.

"We recognize that consumers' value perceptions are most influenced by our core menu pricing. We're working closely and collaboratively with our U.S. franchisees on this opportunity, and we're developing ideas for how we might address this as an entire system," he shared.

McDonald's Value Menu

Prices vary by region and location. All of these deals are subject to change.

$5 Meal Deal: A combo including a choice of a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, a 4‑piece Chicken McNuggets, small fries, and a small soft drink. Buy One, Add One for $1: For selected value items (e.g., breakfast sandwiches, McChicken, small fries) — buy the first item at full price, then add a second of the same or lesser value for just $1. Breakfast Value Items (as part of the “Buy One, Add One” offer):
Sausage McMuffin: $4.67 Sausage Biscuit: $4.79 Sausage Burrito: $3.99 Lunch/Dinner Value Items (within the same platform):
6‑piece Chicken McNuggets: $5.79 McChicken: $3.10 typical Double Cheeseburger: $4.19 typical
Source: McDonald's menu

This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Nov 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Restaurant section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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