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Comment by ryanwaggoner | Hacker News Reader

The vast majority of McDonald’s customers are not using the app to order.

That's the whole point. Customers who are price-sensitive do use the app to order, while people with money to spare don't bother.

That's why McDonald's does it. It's the same thing grocery stores have always done with coupons in the weekly flyer -- customers who are price-sensitive cut them out and use them, while people with money to spare don't bother. Or with clothing sales -- people who want the trendiest clothes at the start of the season buy them full-price, while people who wait until the end of the season get them at a steep discount.

Yes, I'm aware of the point of price discrimination, I was responding to "they have a "regular" price that almost no one is expected to pay"

>That's the whole point. Customers who are price-sensitive do use the app to order, while people with money to spare don't bother.

That's the whole point. Customers willing to sell their privacy for the lower prices use the app to order, while people unwilling to sell their privacy are subject to 'privacy tax'.

Slight /s but only slight.

The app isn't giving away much privacy information that your credit card isn't.

Yeah, they know my name and what I ordered at each location. I'm OK with that.

You can also use a throwaway email address to sign up and use the app to order, get the discounts, but pay in cash when you arrive. If you're determined to keep your identity secret from McDonald's.

> The app isn't giving away much privacy information that your credit card isn't.

Always running, internet connected app is surely reveals a bit more of you/your habits than a CC number.

> throwaway email address to sign up

They are okay with that, data matters more than an ability to match your email.

> keep your identity secret from McDonald's.

I'm not okay with any corporation having an identity info on me. It's not an equal exchange.

> Always running, internet connected app is surely reveals a bit more of you/your habits than a CC number.

Don't think so. It's not always running.

What else is there to reveal? That I changed my mind and swapped the QPC for a Big Mac in my cart at the last second?

Apps are sandboxed. I literally can't guess what you think the app is supposedly tracking besides my orders.

> Don't think so. It's not always running.

Are sure? Seen sources? Decompiled? Never ever got notifications about great promotions? Read EULA?

> I literally can't guess what you think the app is supposedly tracking besides my orders.

Don't guess: https://play.google.com/store/apps/datasafety?id=com.mcdonal...

They don't staff the counter anymore so you order from a kiosk, and if I'm ordering from a computer anyway, I might as well use an app on my phone, and then I can do it from my car in the parking lot instead of going in. I'd love to hear from McDonald's how many orders are via the app vs the kiosk vs drive thru.

The app isn’t very good. They don’t start preparing your order until you arrive in store, and it just seems like so many steps compared to the Starbucks app where you just say, I want it now and it gives you the estimated time it will be ready. Apps that allow for ASAP are easier to use.

They're coupons. They apply to drive through and dine in orders.

Still the vast majority do not use them.

That's their entire point.

Extreme price discrimination against people who don't know better/don't bother/etc.

McD has the most generous coupons in their apps among fast food chain and there is basically no limit.

It depends on the market. I worked at the East Palo Alto McD while I was getting back on my feet a few years back and we had hours where 60-70% of the orders used the app in some way. I’d say probably 35-40% of our customers used the app; of regulars, more than 50%.

Interesting.

Note that the price was $6.69 at that McDonald's and the one at Stanford Shopping Center. But it was $6.09 at the locations on El Camino Real in Redwood City, Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Mountain View.

I was JUST looking at that location because it's about the closest to me. I'm between EPA, University Ave, Menlo Park, and Stanford locations: 6.59, 6.69, 6.09. Meanwhile, Foster City is only $4.99!

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