Does McDonald's Take Apple Pay (Or Other Online Payments)?

If you're among the number of people who eat McDonald's daily, you probably love the chain's efficiency as much as its tasty menu items. In this case, placing and paying for orders via the McDonald's app is the height of convenience, particularly for people on the go. And as illustrated on the McDonald's website, the restaurant even accepts Apple Pay to ensure that customers can seamlessly pay for their orders. 

This option is open to people with iPhones and other iOS devices. These devices allow users to upload credit or debit card information, which gets placed into a digital Apple Wallet. When using the McDonald's app, customers are provided with multiple payment options, one of which is Apple Pay. By choosing this option, the cost of the order is deducted from whatever card you've uploaded to your Apple Wallet. 

From there, customers have several options on how to receive their food. You can retrieve your order from the counter or drive-thru, which requires a special code to ensure that restaurant staff match orders with the right vehicles. You can even opt to skip the line at McDonald's and get convenient curbside service with the app. 

Android users are in luck when visiting the Golden Arches, as the restaurant accepts Google Pay when customers order via the app. While the Apple Pay option automatically populates when using an iOS device, Android users must manually select Google Pay in the app. Once selected, funds will be taken from whatever credit or debit card you have linked to Google Pay.

What if you don't have a card registered to an Apple Wallet or Google Pay? You can still pay for your order digitally, as McDonald's also offers Venmo and PayPal as options to app users. With these options, you may need to supply certain information, such as the mobile number associated with the account to pay for your order. 

This level of convenience almost makes up for the fact that the McDonald's app knows way more about you than you think through the use of personal data retrieved through the use of it. The chain uses this information to inform its marketing approach. While not ideal, providing access to personal data is the price customers pay when seeking an efficient ordering experience at the fast food eatery.