13 Fast Food Chains That Offer Birthday Freebies

It's impossible to pass up a birthday freebie, especially when it comes from your favorite fast-food chain. Not all chains offer free items on customers' birthdays, but a good many do. Whether it's a free side, a complimentary drink, or a dessert on the house, there are a number of delicious reasons to know which chains provide free items for patrons who want to treat themselves on their special day. 

In most cases, fast-food birthday freebies are dependent on you being a member of the chain's rewards club, and what kind of free birthday perk you receive may depend on what tier or level you're at in their rewards program (as in, how many points you've collected for making purchases from them). Other chains take a more simple approach, gifting members with a freebie simply for having made a single purchase within a specific amount of time before their birthday.

If you can't make it to a particular fast-food spot on the day of your birthday, you can often still collect your free reward anyway: Many of these birthday freebies are available on the dates around your birthday, allowing you to collect free food for a month or so from various chains. That's a lot of gratis deliciousness! So whip out your phone and take a peek at your fast-food apps, because we've got 13 popular spots that will hook you up on your special day of the year.

Chick-fil-A's reward club, Chick-fil-A One, provides plenty of opportunities for free food, one of which is their birthday reward. This free item is available starting on your birthday and for 30 days after that, and what you get depends on your membership tier.

Chick-fil-A One members can pick between a Chocolate Chunk Cookie or the Chocolate Fudge Brownie. Silver members of the program — the next tier up — have one of these two desserts as a birthday option as well, but if they're in the mood for something different, they've got five more options: either a small milkshake, small frosted lemonade, small frosted coffee, or small Icedream (cone or cup). Those customers who have made their way up to the Chick-fil-A One Red membership level have their pick of either a regular or grilled sandwich or nuggets, either 8- or 12-pieces. And the Signature-tier members — the highest membership level — can get any entrée they want for free.

If you're a member of any tier, don't forget to hit up Chick-fil-A when your time of the year rolls around. Just remember not to go on a Sunday when they're closed, and order ahead through the app if you're short on time; Chick-fil-A has one of the slowest fast-food drive-thrus.

We've got happy news for Chipotle fans, and it's not just the fact that Chipotle has brought back bigger portion sizes after skimping claims. One of the perks of the popular Mexican fast-food chain's rewards program is a free birthday "surprise." The chain's official website doesn't disclose specifics about the freebie (hence the surprise), but plenty of Chipotle eaters across the web have chimed in to spoil it for anyone who's curious.

One Redditor shared that they received a free side of guacamole for their birthday, and several others chimed in to confirm this. Not a bad deal if you love guac, especially since Chipotle has a very effective storage method for their guacamole that keeps it super-fresh (no off-flavors or discoloration). However, another Reddit user lamented that they only received a free drink for their birthday, so it's possible that what you get hinges on the location or how many points you've accumulated when your birthday rolls around.

There is one other special day that Chipotle appears to recognize for its customers: half-birthdays. Six months after/before your actual birthday, you may receive a promo from Chipotle offering you a free fountain drink, as one Reddit poster discovered. So, whether it's your birthday or your half-birthday, Chipotle's got something to make your day a tad more festive.

Add Dairy Queen to your list of fast-food spots to visit for your birthday. This iconic ice-cream and fast-food chain has a birthday treat for you, but you have to be quick about it: It's available for seven days, starting on your birthday.

According to Dairy Queen, the birthday offer is available to DQ Rewards members who have made at least one order in the 45 days before their birthday (so no signing up on your birthday and expecting the freebie to go through!). When you place that order, make sure you're logged into your DQ Rewards account so there's a record of it in the system. Dairy Queen is mum on what specific form its birthday surprise takes, but one Redditor said they got a coupon for a free medium shake in the app for their birthday — very tempting. 

If you're a Subway MVP Rewards member you've got a free birthday treat in store for you, even if you haven't eaten hundreds of your favorite Subway sandwiches throughout the year. Subway's rewards page states that you'll get a birthday freebie from them every year, starting with "Pro" level membership, which requires $0 to unlock. ("Captain" and "All-Star" are accessible at $200 and $400 respectively.)

Subway's U.S. site doesn't disclose specifics of the freebies, but Subway fans online are pretty clear about it being a free cookie, which you claim from the app when the offer pops up. Canadian and U.K. Subways handle birthday treats more explicitly; The U.K. website highlights an increased reward with each tier — heavily hinting that at least a cookie is involved — and the Canadian program actually details what you can expect, starting with a cookie for "Pro" level members and the same for "Captain," but with a free drink, while the high-rollers at "All-Star" level get a 6-inch sub. Still, even if you don't frequent Subway much, a free cookie isn't anything to sneeze at!

Fast-casual Mexican-style chain QDOBA Mexican Eats isn't coy about what their birthday freebies entail. Members of the QDOBA Rewards program who are at "Foodie Status" get a free side of chips and queso as their birthday freebie, which is a great deal considering that's the starting tier the moment you sign up. "Chef Status" members — those burrito-loving souls who have visited the chain at least 12 times in a year — get a free entrée for their birthday.

There is one stipulation when it comes to claiming your birthday freebie at QDOBA: You have to have entered your birthdate into your account through the app before the first day of your birth month, and you can't change it afterward, so make sure you enter it correctly the first time! Once you've accomplished this, check your app when your birth month rolls around, and go get that freebie. 

Auntie Anne's, that pretzel-purveying fixture of malls and airports across America, is another chain to hit up around your birthday for free food. All you have to do is download the Auntie Anne's Rewards app and spend at least $10 a year. Then on your birthday, you get a free pretzel!

To make sure you have the minimum yearly purchase amount required to get your birthday freebie, always have your app open when you're at the register, and scan the appropriate QR code when prompted. You can also do this in the app itself in the EARN section or simply order through the app. With pretzels, pepperoni nuggets, and lemonades on offer, you should have that $10 met in no time at all.

Be aware that not all Auntie Anne's honor rewards. If you're aiming to get your free pretzel, you'll want to choose locations that aren't located in amusement parks, pilot truck stops, joint Auntie Anne's/Subways, or most airports.

Del Taco has some pretty sweet (literally) birthday freebies for customers who are members of its "Del Yeah!" Rewards Program. Birthday rewards at this American-style Mexican chain differ by membership tiers. If you're at "Queso" or "Scorcho" level (the latter is unlocked when you reach 250 points), you get a free regular-sized shake with any purchase. Members in the two higher tiers, Inferno (at 1,000 points) and Epic (at 2,000 points), can get any shake or dessert for free when they buy something.

If you're already a member but want to work your way up to Inferno or Epic tiers by your next birthday (for that "anything you want" dessert choice), make sure your purchases at Del Taco are recorded in your account so that you can collect your points. You can do that either by ordering through the app itself, scanning your phone at the register, or manually inputting information from your receipt through the app or the webform.

Coffee giant Starbucks is another fast-food chain that hooks up its loyal customers with a complimentary item on their birthday. There are a couple of caveats, though, the most notable being that the birthday reward is only valid on your actual birthday, so you've got one day to pick up your freebie. The second is that not all Starbucks are created equal. Some of them — often stores found tucked in grocery stores or airports — are not licensed Starbucks and don't accept the chain's reward cards. So to claim your birthday freebie, avoid locations with the misleading sign that states: "We proudly serve Starbucks."

That said, what do you actually get at Starbucks on your birthday? Essentially, you can get one of any ready-to-eat (or drink) item. Think along the lines of either a free drink (fresh or bottled), a free sandwich, or a free bottled juice. The deal excludes items with alcohol, any merchandise like mugs or bags of coffee beans, or items with multiple servings (so no Coffee Traveler, for instance).

Compared to a few other fast-food chains, Starbucks is lenient in terms of how soon before your birthday you can join their rewards program to claim your freebie. All you need is seven days before your birthday, with at least one purchase before then that earned you a rewards "Star."

If you're a fan of Jersey Mike's, you may be in for a filling freebie on your birthday. The sub sandwich chain's website states that if you're a member of their email club, buying one regular sub sandwich in the past year entitles you to a free birthday sub. That said, just how you receive your offer (and whether you receive one at all) appears to vary by location.

A number of Jersey Mike's customers online have noted that the chain seems to be giving out the free birthday sub in new ways, with some receiving a printable coupon by email and others getting 72 points — the value of a free regular sub – automatically added to their accounts for their birthday (viewable on the website rather than the app).

It's a good idea to opt into the chain's email notification program in case that's how your birthday sandwich offer arrives. Either way, it could be good to verify that your local Jersey Mike's honors the birthday freebie before rolling in to claim your free sub.

When you feel the need for a sweet, fruity drink to wash down all the other fast-food birthday freebies you're collecting, Jamba Juice is the place to go. As with many birthday rewards, you need to have fulfilled a few requirements beforehand, but if you're a big Jamba fan, that shouldn't be too hard. To qualify for a free small birthday smoothie, you need to be a member of the brand's JamFam Members program and have spent a minimum of $10 throughout the previous year – pretty simple.

The $10, however, has to have come from actual drinks, bowls, or other Jamba merchandise. If you've bought a Jamba Juice gift card for someone, for example, that won't count toward your minimum, nor do the usual taxes and fees. And since Jamba, like Starbucks, is one of those spots that pop up in malls and airports, we recommend verifying with the store in question to make sure it's a participating location for the birthday smoothie reward before putting all your eggs — or fruit — in one basket.

Anyone with a sweet tooth and a love for ice cream will want to keep Baskin-Robbins on the radar for their birthday. Baskins-Robbins has a lot more than 31 flavors to choose from, and when you opt in to the brand's Birthday Club, you'll be emailed a coupon for a free 2.5-ounce scoop of your choice (no waffle cones or toppings are included in the deal) on the birthdate you gave when signing up.

Unlike many other food spots that offer free birthday treats, Baskin-Robbins' Birthday Club is separate from its rewards program — you can receive a birthday scoop coupon ("scoopon," shall we say?") without being a member of Baskin-Robbin Rewards. That said, if you're in the Birthday Club and do decide to sign up for the rewards program, you'll still get your birthday freebie as usual; nothing gets lost or reset by signing up.

If you have fond childhood memories of birthday meals at Pizza Hut, you'll be happy to hear that this iconic chain offers a birthday freebie for its Hut Reward members. The brand's website doesn't get into specifics on just what that treat is, but Instagram user brittsnacktats got a Pizza Hut birthday freebie and was happy to spill the tea. She explained that her offer was a choice of one order of breadsticks (consisting of five sticks) or cinnamon sticks (10 sticks and an icing to dip them in).

Don't watch for an email offering you this deal — brittsnacktats didn't receive one. Instead, she explained, the messages section of the Pizza Hut app is where to look, starting around the first day of your birth month. The birthday offer lasts roughly one month (though you should always check for an expiration date) and can be redeemed online through the app.

It may come as no surprise that Panera Bread, a bakery-café with an extensive selection of breads and pastries, offers a very "carby" birthday treat to its customers who have a MyPanera account: You'll get one sweet or pastry for free that costs up to $5. That means you get to choose from items like cookies, muffins, bagels, or other ready-to-eat pastry-type treats that aren't sold at the store in bulk. The offer also excludes breakfast entreés, Family Feast value meal items, goods from the grocery, bread, or soufflés.

The birthday offer will show up in your MyPanera account, after which you've got seven days to claim it. You'll need to place the order online with a credit card, according to Panera Bread's MyPanera page, and you can't claim your freebie with a catering order, a gift card purchase, or a third-party delivery order (such as Uber Eats).