McDonald's $5 Meal Deal, Value Menu & Deals (2026)

Is the McDonald's $5 meal deal still available?

Yes. The McDonald's $5 Meal Deal is still on the McValue menu in 2026 as the McChicken Meal Deal, and a $6 McDouble Meal Deal sits beside it.

Each deal includes the sandwich, a 4-piece Chicken McNuggets, small World Famous Fries and a small soft drink. McDonald's lists either bundle at 990 calories with a small Coca-Cola, before dipping sauce. McDonald's first launched $5 Meal Deals in mid-2024, and when it expanded McValue in April 2026 it said the lunch and dinner Meal Deals would continue.

Two cautions. McDonald's labels both deals "limited time only" on its site, and it notes that prices and participation vary, so some stores may charge more or skip it. Delivery orders are excluded from McValue pricing. To see whether your store has it today, open the McValue section of the app, or compare it with the rest of the McDonald's menu. The deal is a strong pick if you want a full meal for one, and our cheapest fast food meals guide shows how it compares with other chains.

What is on the McDonald's value menu in 2026?

The McDonald's value menu is called McValue, and its core is the Under $3 Menu: 10 everyday items priced below $3 at participating stores. It launched nationwide on April 21, 2026.

Breakfast items on the Under $3 Menu:

• Sausage McMuffin
• Sausage Biscuit
• Sausage Burrito
• Hash Browns
• Medium McCafé Premium Roast coffee

Lunch and dinner items:

• McDouble
• McChicken
• 4-piece Chicken McNuggets
• Small World Famous Fries
• Medium Coca-Cola or other soft drink

McDonald's also said it would spotlight select items at even lower prices for limited periods. The first two were the Sausage McMuffin at $1.50 and the McDouble at $2.50 in spring 2026. Spotlight prices change, so check the app for the current one. The breakfast half of the menu ends when your store switches to lunch, usually at 10:30 a.m.; see our McDonald's breakfast guide for the cutoff.

What changed on the McDonald's value menu?

McDonald's value menu changes over the past two years came in steps: $5 Meal Deals in mid-2024, the McValue platform in January 2025, the return of Extra Value Meals in fall 2025, and the Under $3 Menu plus a $4 breakfast deal in April 2026.

The 2026 change matters because, as Fox Business described it, McDonald's put predictable everyday prices ahead of app-only digital coupons. In practice, that means you can walk up to the counter and get a McDouble or small fries for under $3 without the app.

One earlier promotion has dropped off. In February 2026, Tasting Table reported a buy-one, get-one-for-$1 offer on items such as the McChicken and 6-piece McNuggets, but McDonald's current McValue page lists only the Under $3 Menu, the two breakfast deals and the two lunch Meal Deals. We could not find a current national 2-for-$6 deal or $8 nugget meal on McDonald's own site either. The closest thing is the 10-piece McNuggets Meal, which typically runs about $8.09 to $10.49; our McNuggets price guide compares every box size.

Does McDonald's have a dollar menu?

No. McDonald's no longer has a dollar menu, and The Takeout called the old Dollar Menu officially dead in 2026. The Under $3 Menu is the modern replacement.

The cheapest items you can count on are Apple Slices at about $1.39, a medium Premium Roast coffee at about $1.99, and Under $3 items such as the Sausage McMuffin and small fries. When McDonald's runs a spotlight price, a single item can drop lower, as the $1.50 Sausage McMuffin did in spring 2026. The best way to find a true $1 item is an app offer, where add-on deals sometimes appear.

What McDonald's app deals and specials are there?

The McDonald's app has the deals you will not see on the menu board: rotating offers in the Deals tab, MyMcDonald's Rewards points, and promotions like Free Fries Friday. Most require you to sign in and order in the app or scan your code.

• Deals tab: offers change often and differ by store. The Points Guy reported seeing items such as two double cheeseburgers for $4, free fries with a purchase, and add-an-item-for-$1 offers in 2026.
• Free Fries Friday: in January 2026, reports said app users could add a free medium fries to any order of $1 or more, once each Friday, through the year. Check the app to confirm it is still running.
• Monopoly at McDonald's: the 2026 game ran from Oct. 6 to Nov. 1, 2026, with game play on eligible large beverages through the app. It has ended.

There are no McDonald's coupon codes to type in. National deals live in the app. You usually cannot combine a deal with a rewards redemption on the same order.

How can I get free McDonald's?

The reliable ways to get free McDonald's are rewards points, app offers like Free Fries Friday, and the sign-up offers McDonald's sometimes runs for new app users. None require tricks.

MyMcDonald's Rewards. You earn 100 points per $1 when you order in the app or scan your code at the counter, kiosk or drive-thru. Rewards start at 1,500 points, or $15 of spending. In The Points Guy's August 2026 guide, the tiers looked like this:

• 1,500 points: Hash Browns, apple pie, small Premium Roast coffee or a Vanilla Cone
• 2,000 points: McChicken, cheeseburger or Sausage Biscuit
• 3,500 points: medium fries, Sausage Burrito or 6-piece McNuggets
• 5,000 points: large fries, Filet-O-Fish or Hotcakes
• 7,000 points: Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Happy Meal, McFlurry or 10-piece McNuggets

Points expire about six months after you earn them, and the lower tiers give the most value per point. Sign-up offers. The Points Guy saw a free Big Mac offer for new members while writing its 2026 guide, though these change.

Do couples eat free at McDonald's on Valentine's Day? We found no record of any such nationwide McDonald's promotion. Treat social posts that claim one with caution, and check the app's Deals tab instead. Our fast food rewards apps comparison ranks McDonald's against other chains.