15 Sneaky Tactics Fast Food Chains Use To Get You To Spend More

Have you ever budgeted $10 at a fast food joint and ended up spending $20? It's not just a lack of willpower. Fast food companies know exactly what they're doing, and they have sneaky ways of getting you to spend more.

Statista reports that fast-food chains have seen consistent growth for decades, and as of 2023, the quick-service restaurant industry is worth nearly $500 billion. This success stems from psychological strategies that shape consumer behavior, starting well before you step through those doors. From social media scrolling to watching T.V., constant fast food advertisements get you thinking about the brand. And once inside the establishment, every detail is engineered to encourage spending.

So if you want to know exactly why your fast food bill is higher than expected, you've come to the right place. We're about to reveal the clever — and sometimes manipulative — techniques these chains used to supersize your spending. Whether you're looking to save money or just curious about consumer psychology, understanding these tactics will shed new light on these major corporations. And the next time you step into a fast food joint, it'll be hard to unsee all the marketing tactics at play.

Charm pricing might sound charming, but it's anything but. This strategy is based on the idea that odd numbers are more trustworthy. If the price ends in an odd number, customers are more likely to purchase it. Odd numbers are also thought to be more memorable, which may help you recall and recommend products. Many retailers use this tactic, which is why you often see prices ending in .95 or .99, but less so in .96 or .98.

Charm pricing can also have a "left-digit effect." When you see a price, your eyes focus on the leftmost digit. So if a burger is $5.99, your brain hones in on the five. This can trick you into feeling like an item is less expensive. If you're buying three items priced at $5.99, your brain might immediately assume the total is $15, when in actuality, it's closer to $18.

Ending prices in $.99 capitalizes on both these psychological strategies. The 99 Cents Only Store was based on this entire concept since it's believed that items priced under a dollar sell faster. Considering it's just a penny off, $0.99 may as well be a full dollar as far as your wallet is concerned. However, that single penny difference consistently drives higher sales volume, more than making up for the lost cent.

As the name suggests, loyalty programs are designed to get repeat business by providing rewards, discounts, and special offers. There are various structures to loyalty programs and many of these reward programs are actually rewarding. Tiered programs give you points for purchases or online engagement, helping you climb the ranks and access better prizes. Meanwhile, referral programs give you a bonus for bringing in new business.

Popeye's rewards program incentivizes people with free snacks. If you spend $5 or more, you'll receive a complimentary cinnamon apple pie, a small drink, or a regular side. Every dollar you spend is equal to 10 points, which can be redeemed for more snacks like biscuits (worth 200 points). Chick-fil-A has a similar point system, with prizes ranging from sides and desserts to full-on entrees. The more points you have, the higher your status, with memberships starting at level One and climbing up to Silver, Red, and Signature.

People are more likely to visit a fast food joint if they're part of its loyalty program. This saves companies marketing money because instead of advertising to new clientele, they merely need to retain their current ones. Plus, it's easier to sell to a frequent customer than someone who has never visited your store. According to Zippia, people spend 43% more at places they are loyal to and 65% of a business's revenue comes from existing customers.

If you love a good combo deal, you'll want to check out our ranking of the best fast food value items. These include Dairy Queen's two for $5 menu and Hardee's Star Combo which comes with a cheeseburger, soda, and fries for $5.99. These are great bargains, but they're still sneaky marketing strategies. Left to your own devices, you may have ordered solely a burger and split fries with a friend — or foregone the fries altogether. However, when a combo deal is just a few bucks extra, why not go all in?

Combo deals are a form of bundling, a marketing technique that combines multiple products into one for sale purposes.  It creates easy decision-making for the consumer. They see a set meal deal that saves them the effort of picking off a long menu. Bundling also coaxes consumers to buy more through perceived fairness. They think they're getting a good deal — and they might be, but by increasing the average order price, fast food companies increase overall profits.

Mind you, combo deals can be mutually beneficial under the right conditions. If you were going to purchase all the items anyway, you end up saving yourself a few bucks. At the time of this article, Burger King's Whopper Meal including the burger, fries, and soda costs roughly $11.49. Purchased separately, these items would cost a grand total of almost $15, so you're essentially receiving the fries or soda for free.

Branding is a huge part of marketing, and in today's digital world, that includes mobile apps. Mobile apps streamline the fast food experience, making it easier to order, pay, pick up, or have food delivered. And let's be honest, when a restaurant offers convenience, we're more inclined to give them our business. After all, fast food was designed to be quick and easy.

According to a study published in Civic Science, 15% of people use branded mobile apps at fast food joints to expedite the process. The study also showed that after a significant Dunken Donuts app upgrade, 43% of customers said they were more likely to visit. Branded apps also allow for easy marketing. Chains can double down on sales strategies by including promotions, upselling, and cross-selling on the application. They can also tie it with a loyalty program and have customers save their payment information, allowing food purchases in just a few clicks.

According to Statista, the average person spends 143 minutes on social media daily. While this time feels like mindless scrolling, it can actually have a significant impact on your lifestyle habits, including spending. That's over two hours of potential marketing opportunities, and you better believe fast food companies capitalize on this. After all, can you name a fast food chain that isn't on social media?

Many people have trained themselves to scan past online advertisements, but social media ads appear similar to normal posts. By the time you realize it's not a followed account, you've already received the marketing message. And according to a study published in Research Gate, most people feel social media advertising influences them to purchase fast food. It found 81% of polled followed fast food chains on social networking sites and 67% said they often visit restaurants they see on social media.

However, social media marketing isn't just about targeted ads; it's about connecting with consumers and getting them to engage online. This way, brands can become household names without consumers ever having to leave their homes. And if you support a fast food joint by tagging them in a post, you're encouraging others to visit, as well.

Do you have kids? If so, you know how much they influence your daily choices, including what you eat. Fast food chains know this dynamic well, offering kid-friendly menu items and pricing them low to attract families. Even if they lose money on a kid's meal, they'll profit when parents order full-price adult meals.

However, the real genius lies in kid-friendly packaging and collectible toys. CNN reports that McDondald's advertising executive (and Happy Meal inventor) Bob Bernstein noticed that kids wanted something to do while eating. "We were losing our endorsement of the kids," he explained of McDonald's in the '70s. "We wanted to reestablish ourselves with kids and the family and say we were kid-friendly." Creating a colorful box with handles and games achieved this mission and helped them stand out from the competition. Collectible toys followed shortly after, and transformed kids into powerful marketing allies and loyal customers.

"Do you want to supersize that?" is a phrase many McDonald's customers are well-acquainted with. It's also a sneaky upselling strategy that gets you to enlarge your order and pay more. Fast food employees are trained to use this strategy with enthusiasm and specificity. By staying upbeat and suggesting you get a large instead of a medium, you're more inclined to jump on that positive bandwagon. Plus, it requires very little decision-making other than a simple yes or no reply.

"Would you like fries with that?" is another guiding phrase that increases spending. This question is considered cross-selling, or suggesting complimentary items to add to your order. The idea is presented as if the staff is looking out for your best interest — and yes, fries may enhance your restaurant experience, but they'll also increase that bill.

A Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services study showed that these verbal prompts increased sales, regardless of how they were worded. However, sales were even higher when the side dish was complementary to the main. Were you asked if you'd like a pastry alongside that morning coffee? That's no accident; it's a carefully considered sales strategy. And nowadays, you won't solely encounter this tactic in person, but through online ordering systems.

According to Statista, the online food delivery industry is worth over $350 billion and is estimated to grow nearly 10% each year. Online food delivery is often coordinated by third-party delivery sites like Uber Eats and GrubHub, and these services have revolutionized fast food accessibility. Think about it. You know those nights when you crave fast food but don't want to leave home? You open up your phone and check out your Uber Eats options.

However, the sneaky marketing strategies don't end there. Fast food companies leverage these platforms as additional marketing channels. They use targeted advertisements, sponsored listings, and app-specific deals. And just because you're online doesn't mean you aren't subjected to the same upselling; expect "recommended add-ons" right before checkout.

Overall, the third-party delivery apps create the illusion that you're saving big when really, they're using every opportunity to increase sales. After all, who gets delivery for a single order of fries? You want to make those delivery fees worth it.

Who's your favorite celebrity? If they endorsed a specific fast food meal, would you try it? Those who answered yes aren't alone. The general public is obsessed with celebrities, perhaps due to their talent, success, or glamorous lifestyle. And when a well-known figure puts their stamp of approval on fast food, it works wonders for sales. And nowadays, celebrities aren't solely on the big screen, they can include food bloggers or vloggers, influencers, and social media stars.

Wharton research shows that celebrity endorsements accelerate and increase consumer spending. Travis Scott's collaboration with McDonald's is a prime example. When the Travis Scott Meal was first offered, it caused such a frenzy that some McDonald's locations ran out of ingredients. These fans weren't just hungry: They wanted the Travis Scott experience. This motivation is partly due to para-social relationships: the one-sided emotional connections fans form with famous figures. However, the campaign was so effective that it led McDonald's to launch a series of celebrity meals.

Do you feel stressed when you reach the front of a fast food line? As the line grows behind you, you feel increased pressure to order quickly. And face-to-face interactions can make you too shy to order all those crave-worthy extras. Luckily, self-service kiosks eliminate all these social anxiety issues. Unfortunately, that anonymity comes at a price — literally.

According to Business Insider, Shake Shack customers spend 10% more when purchasing through a self-service kiosk rather than cashiers, and we understand why. A machine isn't going to judge you if you want two burgers instead of one. Plus, you don't need to be concerned about any hard-to-pronounce items. All that's required is using a touchscreen to order and pay. But since everything is carefully automatized, you can expect upselling and cross-selling like you would with cashiers. Meanwhile, bright visual cues tempt you to order even more. So while they might be convenient, fast-food kiosks end up costing you more.

Ever notice how your mouth waters the second you see photos of juicy burgers or flavorful tacos? Your eyes immediately scan the picture, imagining the different smells, flavors, and textures. These visuals bring fast food to life, and companies pay big bucks to trigger these visceral reactions. However, the payout is well worth the fee. According to Menu Cover Depot, high-quality images can boost food sales by 30%. These photos make the food seem more appealing while distracting you from the price.

Don't believe us? Next time you look at a fast food menu, pay attention to sizing. Chains strategically place large, appetizing photos next to far smaller price tags. Since your gaze is naturally focused on that juicy burger, you crave it even more. Meanwhile, High-quality images can also build trust, making you feel safe purchasing new items. But that trust isn't always well deserved since photos are just one way fast food restaurants trick their customers. After all, we've all experienced the disappointment of receiving a skimpy portion of fries when the menu showed an overflowing container.

The COVID-19 pandemic saw the rise of QR codes, and restaurants seem to be embracing them. QR codes make it easy to update menu items and make price adjustments. Plus, they can double as a sneaky advertising strategy. When you click on a QR code, it can link to the menu, website, loyalty program, or more. It can also be programmed to promote special deals.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Burger King used a QR code purely to drive business. As the brand described on social media platform X, "Stay home today & watch the commercials on cable for a change. Keep your phone out to scan the QR code in our new spot for a free Whopper with purchase." However, the aim wasn't to gain a one-time order. Using QR codes connects consumers to the fast food chain's mobile app in hopes they'll become repeat customers.

What current food trends are your friends raving about? If popular enough, fast food chains will jump on this bandwagon because adapting to consumer trends makes them money. During the avocado craze, everyone was searching for the next best avocado dish. Fast food joints found unique ways to incorporate this ingredient into their menu items, like Wendy's Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad and Sandwich. However, the company wasn't simply following a trend, it was monetizing it.

Meanwhile, fast food companies are also happy to monitor wellness trends to capture health-conscious consumers' money. As dietary restrictions are on the rise, fast food brands have adapted their standard menu. Chick-fil-A now offers gluten-free buns and many chains including Shake Shack and Bare Burger have veggie burgers. At some restaurants, making these ingredient swaps and opting for trendy items will cost you a premium — which some believe is unethical, since many dietary restrictions aren't voluntary (think Celiac's disease). It'll probably cost more than a standard burger and fries.

Holidays bring excitement to the air, and people are willing to spend more money as a result. Consumers shell out cash to celebrate the Super Bowl, Halloween, and Valentine's Day. However, according to a Statista survey, winter holidays see the highest spending, averaging over $800 per person. Fast food companies are well aware of this trend and are happy to capitalize on it.

During the holidays, restaurants have limited-time menu items dedicated to the theme. Over Halloween, Burger King boasted an Addam's family-inspired menu with Wednesday's Whooper, Thing's Onion Rings, and Gomez's Churro Fries. McDonald's latest Christmas menu included a Festive Holiday Pie, McCafé Peppermint Mocha, and an Eggnog Shake among several other items. You'll also see special deals on holidays you didn't even know existed like National Fast Food Day and National French Fry Day. Regardless of the celebration, holiday items are only offered for a short period, giving customers that motivating FOMO.

The sneakiest tactic of all has yet to be fully tapped. While AI technology is an emerging field, fast food chains are already playing with this technology in interesting ways. And in some countries, invasive fast food tech is becoming the norm. After New Year's Day 2024, Burger King Brazil launched a Hangover Whopper campaign. Using the Burger King app and facial recognition software, customers scanned their faces to determine how hungover they were on a scale from 1 to 3. The app then rewarded them with a coupon depending on their hangover level: the Whopper Junior, Double Whopper, or Whopper Double.

Meanwhile, the drive-thrus of the future may be entirely powered by AI. The tech company Xenial is offering a smart drive-through concept that uses a camera-based timer system, artificial intelligence, and voice ordering. Its AI technology is also responsible for automated upsells, with the program promising to increase the average check.