McDonald's Ends Under $3 Affordable Menu Strategy
The fast-food chain is shifting marketing resources to higher-priced meal deals following a decline in customer traffic.
Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Business Strategy
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McDonald's has officially discontinued its under $3 Every Day Affordable Price menu that was introduced in late April. The company also removed the Buy One, Add One for $1 feature to focus on higher-priced Extra Value Meals.
Why it matters
The company determined that deep discount strategies failed to drive incremental traffic, instead contributing to weaker margins and lower stock performance. Management attributes two-thirds of the brand's customer traffic underperformance during the second quarter to these value execution factors.
The company discontinued its under $3 Every Day Affordable Price menu and the $1 Buy One, Add One feature. A $4 Breakfast Meal Deal remains part of the chain's current menu offerings.
The players
McDonald's
A multinational fast-food corporation that is currently adjusting its national pricing and marketing strategy in the United States.
The details
McDonald's is now reallocating marketing funds to support its Extra Value Meals while launching national digital flash offers to engage high-frequency customers. The strategic shift follows a period of lower customer traffic and aims to improve financial returns throughout the remainder of the year.
Timeline
Late April: McDonald's launched the under $3 EDAP menu.
Second quarter: McDonald's experienced lower customer traffic.
Second half of the year: McDonald's will reallocate marketing funds.
Market Landscape
This shift marks a departure from the quick-service restaurant industry's recent reliance on aggressive, low-price value menu cycles. The company is now attempting to stabilize margins by moving away from deep discount models that previously failed to yield sufficient traffic gains.
Customers will no longer see the $1 Buy One, Add One feature or the under $3 affordable menu at participating locations. Instead, shoppers may see a greater emphasis on higher-priced Extra Value Meals and personalized digital flash offers in the mobile app.
The takeaway
The move suggests a pivot toward protecting profitability by prioritizing higher-margin menu items over broad discounting. Consumers should monitor the mobile app for specific digital flash offers, which are replacing the previous store-wide price reductions.
Further reading
For more on evolving corporate trends, see our Business Strategy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Telegraph.
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Do you feel that current fast-food meal prices represent good value for your household budget?
