8 ways to save money at KFC including how to bag a free side and get £5 off
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FRIED chicken fans can bag free food and discounts at KFC using these tips and tricks.
For some of the tips, you will need to download KFC's free rewards app, called the Colonel's Club.
The loyalty scheme gives out freebies if you meet certain criteria, and we reveal below exactly how you can get your hands on them.
For others, you'll need to head to your nearest branch to take advantage of the offers.
Currently, all 900 KFC branches in the UK are open for takeaway and drive-thru - diners can't sit in to eat their meal due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
But customers will be able to sit outside restaurants again from April 12 and inside from May 17 when the rules ease, as long as coronavirus cases remain under control.
Until then, here are some of the top tips on how to get money off the bill and free food from KFC.
1. Pick up a free side
Fried chicken fans can bag a free side when they sign up to the KFC app.
KFC's Colonel's Club rewards scheme allows you to earn virtual stamps when you order from the menu that will get you money off food and drink.
New customers are automatically rewarded for joining the Colonel's Club with three stamps, which can be used to purchase one of the following sides:
- Two hot wings
- Popcorn chicken small
- Regular drink
- Sundae
- Regular side
- Regular fries
- Regular hot beverage
The fast food chain advises diners to use the stamps to pick up two free hot wings, usually worth 99p.
But you can get even more bang for your buck by exchanging the stamps for a small snack pot of popcorn chicken, which cost £1.99.
2. Free mini-fillet burger
App users can collect a stamp whenever they spend £3 at KFC, or two when you spend over £15.
When you earn seven stamps, you can use them to bag free food worth up to £1.99, including a mini fillet burger.
You can choose from one of the following menu items:
- Snack box
- Popcorn chicken regular
- Mini fillet burger
- Streetwise wrap
- Krushems Kream Ball
- Four hot wings
- Large side
Normally, a mini fillet burger would set you back around £1.49 but the most expensive freebie you can get is a snack box, worth £1.99.
3. £5 off your order
Eleven of your Colonel Club stamps will get you £5 off your next order - no strings attached.
But you'll need to spend at least £33 first before collecting that number of stamps.
All you need to do is show your stamps to the cashier at a branch, and you can tuck into £5 worth of free food.
4. Free snack box
Students can bag a free original recipe snack box when they spend £3 or more in one transaction.
Usually, the snack boxes cost £1.99 so you'll be making a sweet lunchtime saving by taking advantage of the offer.
You need to sign up to Student Beans - an online offers hub for students - and link your ID up with your KFC app account.
To do this, go to the My Account section on the app and enter your student beans ID. It can take up to 24 hours to verify your account.
You'll then be sent a barcode on the app that you will need to show at the checkout when claiming your freebie.
Unfortunately, you can't use it inline with any other offer.
How to save money on your takeaway
TAKEAWAYS taste great but they can hit you hard on your wallet. Here are some tips on how to save on your delivery:
Cashback websites- TopCashback and Quidco will pay you to order your takeaway through them. They're paid by retailers for every click that comes to their website from the cashback site, which eventually trickles down to you. So you'll get cashback on orders placed through them.
Discount codes - Check sites like VoucherCodes for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order.
Buy it from the shops - Okay, it might not taste exactly the same but you'll save the most money by picking up your favourite dish from your local supermarket.
Student discounts - If you're in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It's always worth asking before you place your order.
5. Pick up 80 pieces of popcorn chicken for £6
KFC has brought back it's massive 80-piece popcorn chicken bucket and it only costs £5.99.
The giant buckets of popcorn chicken aren't normally available to buy from the fast food chain so you'll want to cash in on the giant deal while you can.
The chain does sell smaller pots of popcorn chicken, although we don't know exactly how many pieces come in each size.
A large costs around £4.99 depending on the branch, meaning you can upgrade to a mammoth-size portion for an extra £1.
Plus the £5.99 price tag for the 80-pieces of chicken works out at roughly 8p per bite.
The deal is available for all orders placed either in-store, drive-thru or on their app or website for take-out, and drive-thru.
The offer ends on May 3 as part of a month-long "Big Deals" event.
6. Keep the receipt and get 15% off
On a KFC receipt, there will be a link to a short customer experience survey, and customers can bag up to 15% off their next order by filling it out.
Make sure you hang onto the receipt until after you finish the survey as you'll need to enter the survey code and time stamp to take part.
You don't necessarily have to buy a meal just to get a receipt, though - receipts from orders placed by friends and family are also fine to use.
You can even use receipts that have been left on tables in restaurants or the floor outside - this is calling Wombling.
The only catch is that you have to claim your discount within 14 days of completing the survey.
7. Chicken Tuesdays
At certain times of the year, KFC offers discounted meals on Chicken Tuesday.
While it's not currently running, previously we've seen deals such as nine pieces of chicken for just £5.99, down from £15.57 normally.
Last year, the discount even ran in June and in January the year before.
KFC says the deal will be back on the menu later this year and advises fans to keep an eye on the dedicated webpage.
In a notice on the website, the chain said: "We aren’t running the nations favourite Chicken Tuesday deal right now, but it’ll be back on the menu later this year so keep your eyes peeled to avoid missing out...
"Chicken Tuesdays won't be away for long."
8. Keep an eye on the app
Customers should keep an eye out on the offers section on the app for the latest deals and discounts.
Some of the previous deals customers have taken advantage off include 10 mini fillets for £5 and 10 pieces of original recipe chicken for £10, down from £19.90 usually.
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