Savannah Black / 02 June 2025 / Categories: Food & Drink, Fast Food

McDonald’s and the money making ketchup policy

This made me crazy

A classic rant

Are you using the app today. The robotic automaton auto pilot voice looms out from the drive through metal box. I never use the app, neither does anyone else if you listen to the customers around you and yet the script has to be adhered to without any explanation why the app would be better for us. Should I use the app for a discount? That would be a good reason.

I don’t think the food is cheaper if you use the app is it? I think they think if they ask us if we are using the app enough we’ll just suddenly start using it. NOT. It’s just super annoying.

I always order the same thing. 2 x McPlant burger meals with water, medium with one ketchup which costs £13.98.

Today the price went up by 20p to £14.18 so when I arrived at the window to pay I said “you’ve put your prices up??” The lady in the kiosk looked at me blankly and then said yes.

Oh I said when was that? She said three weeks ago. I didn’t question her further, I knew it was rubbish as I buy this lunch once a week and last week and the week before the price was £13.98

So when I got to the window to collect my food which I always have to wait for because no one obviously buys the McPlant and they are never ready, should be called slow food not fast food but hey I digress, I just hope they don’t remove them from the menu. This has already happened in the US due to low sales.

I asked again about the increased price.

I concluded there had been no price increase and I asked if I had been charged 20p for my ketchup. The person in the booth said yes. When I asked why, he said he didn’t know. The policy is everyone gets one free ketchup and if you want more than one you have to pay. Fair Enough. I explained we had only asked for one ketchup for two meals and he said they would refund the 20p for the ketchup.

The food wasn’t ready surprise surprise so we had to wait in Bay one.

When the food was delivered I asked about my 20p overcharge. Did she have my 20p. The lady who brought the food knew nothing about it.

You cannot eat your food in the pick up bay so instead of letting it go cold we abandoned the quest to get the 20p back, it was the principle more than anything, the staff at McDonalds whacking on a charge few would ever question.

I thought about how much that would be if they did it to every customer and when questioned staff saying the prices had gone up when they actually hadn’t at all. I wonder what would happen if I just said anything when questioned to my customers, I’d probably get fired.

You are going to love the next bit. When we opened to bag to tuck in, yep you guessed it, no ketchup.