Will McDonald's 210M Loyalty Users Fuel Long-Term Growth?

McDonald’s Corporation MCD is increasingly relying on its expanding digital ecosystem to strengthen customer engagement and drive long-term growth. A key pillar of this strategy is its rapidly growing loyalty program, which has become one of the company’s most important growth drivers.

By the end of 2025, McDonald’s loyalty platform reached nearly 210 million 90-day active users across more than 70 markets, nearly doubling the system-wide sales generated from loyalty members compared with 2023. Management believes this expanding digital base can significantly enhance customer relationships and improve sales momentum.

The value of the loyalty ecosystem lies in its ability to influence customer behavior. According to management, customers who join the program tend to visit McDonald’s restaurants far more frequently and increase their overall spending. This deeper engagement allows the company to communicate directly with consumers through personalized offers, promotions and digital campaigns.

Loyalty also strengthens the company’s broader digital strategy. Integration with tools such as mobile ordering and “Ready on Arrival” services enables faster service and smoother customer experiences. These capabilities not only improve convenience but also increase the likelihood of repeat visits.

Importantly, McDonald’s sees its loyalty platform as a long-term growth engine rather than just a marketing tool. The company is targeting 250 million active loyalty users by 2027, indicating confidence that digital engagement will continue to expand globally.

Combined with menu innovation, value offerings and major marketing campaigns, the loyalty program gives McDonald’s a powerful way to maintain customer connections in a competitive quick-service restaurant environment. As digital adoption grows, the company’s massive loyalty base could play a critical role in sustaining traffic, boosting sales and supporting long-term shareholder value.

Competitors Leveraging Loyalty and Digital Engagement

Two major competitors of McDonald’s, Starbucks SBUX and Yum! Brands YUM are also heavily investing in loyalty and digital ecosystems to strengthen customer engagement and drive long-term growth.

The company has built one of the most successful loyalty programs in the restaurant industry through its Starbucks Rewards platform. The program integrates mobile ordering, personalized offers and app-based payments, which encourages frequent customer visits. Starbucks’ strong digital infrastructure allows it to collect valuable customer data and tailor promotions that boost ticket size and repeat purchases. This strategy has helped Starbucks maintain strong customer retention and digital sales momentum.

Yum! Brands is expanding digital and loyalty capabilities across key brands such as Taco Bell and KFC. The company is focusing on app-based ordering, targeted promotions and rewards programs to increase customer frequency. By leveraging technology and data analytics, Yum! Brands aims to deepen customer relationships and drive incremental traffic, mirroring the digital engagement strategy that McDonald’s is pursuing globally.

MCD’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

McDonald’s shares have gained 7.2% in the past six months compared with the industry’s 4.9% increase.

Price Performance

In terms of its forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio, MCD is trading at 24.56, down from the industry’s 24.89.

P/E (F12M)

Over the past seven days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MCD’s 2026 earnings per share has decreased, as shown in the chart.

MCD currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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