The Story Behind McDonald's Elusive McGold Cards

For a chain that's as easily accessible as McDonald's is, the company thrives on the draw of the exclusive and limited. From limited-time desserts to adult Happy Meals with a catch, the strategy of making items more limited has paid off time and time again. It isn't just limited to food either; even certain international McDonald's locations are considered exclusive for their one-of-a-kind appearances. For many, the ultimate exclusive McDonald's item is the McGold Card.

This solid metal card grants the holder a lifetime of free McDonald's meals, which translates to two meals per week for 50 years, and is extremely rare. Just how many people have a McGold card is unknown, although the first one was traced back to a philanthropist named Larry Crandell, who received his card in 2014 as a birthday gift.

The exact means of how one gets a McGold Card is unfortunately up to chance and requires a lot of luck. Some locations have given a few away, and even fewer have been given by the entire company. McDonald's has also opened up giveaways for the card on occasion via its app, most recently in 2022.

While Larry Crandell was the first person to get a McGold Card, actor Rob Lowe put them in the spotlight a year later in 2015. The actor showed the world his McGold Card on an episode Jimmy Kimmel Live! He specifically got his card due to being friends with David Peterson, owner and operator of 6 McDonald's locations in California.

Other celebrities are McGold Card owners, including Warren Buffet and Bill Gates. For a long time, the card was reserved for the famous, or, in some rare cases, local heroes like Charles Ramsey, who came to the rescue of three kidnapping victims after eating a McDonald's lunch. However, in recent years, the chain has started launching giveaways so customers can win some McGold Cards.

McDonald's brought back McGold Cards as part of the SZN of Sharing in December of 2022. The cards were given away via the McDonald's app; only three customers plus three of their friends or family would be able to win cards, making for a total of 12 McGold Cards. The more customers purchased McDonald's through the app, the higher their chances were of getting a card.