One of my favorite restaurants has always been Chick-fil-A especially when Suzzane was little. Charlie as well but now he says it bother’s him stomach I don’t get to go as often as I used to. If you go make sure you take the time to STOP. CHECK. SAV before you pull out your wallet, pull out your phone.
Whis is part of our Did You Know? series where we remind you to Check the App Before You Pay Full Price! series, where we’re looking at one business at a time and asking a simple question:
Is there a way to save, earn points, receive a reward, or get something free before we pay full price? Today we’re checking Chick-fil-A. And I’m going to tell you right up front — I used to have the Chick-fil-A App.
We used to eat at Chick-fil-A quite a bit more than we do now as I said earlier. But when we were eating there regularly, sometimes every week, I could see those points adding up. And if we were still going to Chick-fil-A every week? I would absolutely use the app.
That’s the whole idea behind this series.
I’m not telling you to download every restaurant app just because it exists. I’m telling you to STOP. CHECK. SAVE. If you’re already going to spend the money, see if that business has a free rewards program that can give you something back.
The Chick-fil-A One rewards program is free to join. Which is a Godsend for my family because we don’t have to pay a monthly fee or purchase a membership just to earn points. Once you have an account, qualifying purchases can earn points that you can eventually redeem for food rewards. And this is where I think Chick-fil-A is worth looking at if it’s a regular stop for your family.
At the basic Chick-fil-A One level, you earn 10 points for every $1 spent on qualifying purchases. As you move through the Chick-fil-A One tiers, the earning rate increases:
Chick-fil-A One: 10 points per $1
Silver: 11 points per $1
Red: 12 points per $1
Signature: 13 points per $1
The higher tiers are based on tier-status points earned during the year. Silver begins at 1,000 tier points, Red at 4,000, and Signature at 10,000. So if Chick-fil-A is somewhere you visit regularly, those points can add up. That’s what caught my attention when we used to go more often.
Knowing what you can get with your points is where the program gets fun. Points can be redeemed for available Chick-fil-A food rewards. The rewards and point requirements can change, but Chick-fil-A currently lists examples such as:
200 points — Icedream cone
400 points — medium waffle fries
600 points — two Chick-n-Strips
1,200 points — 12-count Chick-fil-A Nuggets
So yes… You can earn free food. Maybe you want to save your points for a dessert. Maybe you want free fries. Maybe you save longer for an entrée. The choice is yours. And that’s one of the reasons I like rewards programs. You’re getting something back from money you were already planning to spend.
I always love learning something new and now I have #TeachingMoment: to share with you as I I learned something, too! Here’s one of my favorite parts of doing this series. Sometimes I’m researching something to teach you, and I end up learning something myself.
That happened with Chick-fil-A. I knew that if you forgot to scan your Chick-fil-A One account, there was a way to submit your receipt afterward. What I didn’t realize was that there is a limit on missed-transaction requests.
That’s an important lesson. The receipt recovery process is there to help when you make a mistake. It isn’t supposed to become your regular way of earning points. So our lesson is simple: Scan your account when you order. And if something goes wrong, keep your receipt and use the missed-transaction process.
That’s a real-life lesson in reading the rules, keeping receipts, and paying attention to the fine print. And I think that’s especially useful for #homeschool families. You don’t always need a textbook to learn something. Sometimes you can learn about math, money, technology, consumer skills, and responsibility while ordering chicken nuggets! #TeachingMoment
Here’s something else I want to make clear. You don’t have to place every Chick-fil-A order through the app just to earn points. If you’re ordering inside the restaurant or using the drive-thru, you can use your Chick-fil-A One QR code to connect your qualifying purchase to your account.
You can also order online while signed into your Chick-fil-A One account. So it’s not really about: App vs. no app. It’s about: Are you using your Chick-fil-A One account or not? If you’re already a member, make sure your purchase gets connected to that account. Otherwise, you could be paying for your meal and walking away without earning the points you could have received. Leaving money ie points on the table.
This is one of the biggest things I wanted to double-check before writing this article. Let’s say you’re at Chick-fil-A. The app isn’t cooperating. The line is moving. You forget to scan. You pay and walk away.
Don’t automatically throw away the receipt. Chick-fil-A has a missed-transaction process. You can submit the transaction afterward, and Chick-fil-A says you have 30 days to do it. You’ll need information from your receipt, including the restaurant number, transaction date, order number, and order total.
If the request is approved, the points are generally added within 48 hours. But remember our #teachingmoment : There is a lifetime limit on missed-transaction requests. So use this as a backup. Don’t make forgetting to scan your normal routine.
Now that you know about the app add Chick-fil-A to Your Coupon & App Savings Notebook Which is why we’re making our Coupon & App Savings Notebook to go along with this series.
If you have the Chick-fil-A App, add it to your notebook. You might record: Business: Chick-fil-A App: Chick-fil-A Website: Chick-fil-A.com Account email or phone: Password: Stored in my password manager.
Current tier: Current points: Available rewards: Birthday reward: Reward expiration dates: And remember: Do not write your actual password in your notebook. Write down where the password is safely stored instead. If you’re using a password manager, that’s where your actual login information belongs.
Here’s another reason to check your Chick-fil-A account. Chick-fil-A One members can receive a birthday reward. The reward depends on your membership tier, and higher tiers can receive more valuable choices.
At the basic Chick-fil-A One level, the current birthday choices include a Chocolate Chunk Cookie or Chocolate Fudge Brownie.. Higher tiers can receive additional choices, including items such as a small milkshake or certain sandwiches and nugget options.
Birthday rewards can change, so check your account for your current offer. That means your birthday is another good time to: STOP. CHECK. SAVE. You might already have a little birthday treat waiting for you.
Chick-fil-A’s program has four membership levels: Chick-fil-A One– Silver, –Red– Signature Your tier can affect how many points you earn and what benefits you receive. But I want to make something very clear. Don’t spend extra money just to reach a higher tier. That’s not saving.
The goal of this series is to find savings on purchases you’re already making. If your family already eats Chick-fil-A every week, let those purchases work for you. If you don’t, that’s okay, too. We will be sharing other apps and they may be a better fit for your family.
If you ask me, the app is worth having if Chick-fil-A is a regular part of your life. Not because you have to use it for every order. But because it makes it easier to see your points, rewards, tier status, account information, and available offers.
You can still walk into the restaurant. You can still use the drive-thru. You can still order without placing a mobile order. But if you have an account, make sure you connect your purchase to it.
For someone like me, who used to eat there every week, I think the app would have been worth keeping. For someone who goes once or twice a year? Maybe not. And that’s okay. You don’t need every rewards app. You need the ones that actually fit your life.
Here’s another place where you need to STOP. CHECK. If you’re ordering Chick-fil-A through a third-party delivery service, don’t automatically assume you’re going to receive Chick-fil-A One points.
Chick-fil-A’s rules distinguish third-party delivery orders from orders placed through Chick-fil-A’s own ordering system. So before you place that delivery order, check where you’re ordering. Sometimes the cheapest-looking option isn’t the one that gives you the rewards you were expecting. That’s why we’re checking before we pay.
Before my next Chick-fil-A purchase, I’d do this: STOP.– I’m about to spend money at Chick-fil-A. CHECK.– Open my Chick-fil-A account. Check my points.- Check my available rewards. Check for birthday rewards or special offers.
Look at expiration dates. Decide whether I want to use a reward today or save it. SAVE.– Make sure my Chick-fil-A One account is connected to my qualifying purchase. And if something goes wrong? KEEP THE RECEIPT. Then submit the missed transaction while I’m still within the 30-day window.
For me, the biggest lesson isn’t simply that Chick-fil-A has a rewards app. It’s that rewards programs make the most sense when you already shop or eat somewhere regularly. When we were eating Chick-fil-A every week, I could see those points adding up.
Today, we don’t eat there nearly as often because it bothers Charlie’s stomach. So I’m not going to tell you that everyone needs to download the Chick-fil-A App. But if Chick-fil-A is one of your family’s regular stops? I’d definitely check it.
It’s free to join. You can earn points on qualifying purchases. Those points can become food rewards. You can receive birthday rewards. And there may be other offers waiting in your account. That’s worth checking before you pay full price.
The next time you’re sitting in the car deciding whether you’re really going to stop at Chick-fil-A, don’t just look at the menu. Look at your phone. You might already have something waiting for you. And if you eat there regularly, those points can add up.
That’s what we’re doing with this entire series. We’re not telling you to spend more money because an app promises you rewards. We’re saying: If you’re already going to spend the money, why not see whether the business will give you something back? So before you pull out your wallet… Pull out your phone.
And don’t forget your #TeachingMoment. Because sometimes the person writing the article learns something, too!
Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed,
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
