11 Tips for Saving Money at Dunkin’

Are you obsessed with the coffee America runs on? You’re not alone. Though coffee shops and fast food restaurants are only getting more expensive each year, that doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate a few store-bought brews (okay, let’s face it, maybe a daily Dunkin’ coffee) on a budget. In fact, there are many ways to save money on coffee at Dunkin’, from signing up for special points programs to searching for exclusive Dunkin’ stores that offer unique discounts.

Whether you love dropping by the chain for combo breakfasts or just crave a quick drive-thru cold brew before your work day begins, there are lots of different ways you can save — and if you apply them all, you’ll never feel guilty about buying a coffee at Dunkin’ again. If you want to feel like a DunKing on a budget, here are all the money-saving Dunkin’ tips you need to know.

Dunkin’ Rewards is the coffee chain’s version of a free loyalty program. Sign up on Dunkin’s website or on its app, and use your email to create a membership account. Once you’re in, you’ll have the opportunity to earn Dunkin’ Rewards, which can net you extra coupons and free drinks.

Each time you spend a dollar at Dunkin’, you’ll get 10 reward points. These points can be accumulated and exchanged for coupons for free food and drinks. There are various tiers in the points program — 250 reward points, for example, will net you a free donut, while 900 points (the highest reward) get you any size of a frozen or espresso drink. Just make sure that your account is linked to your payment method you’re using to make Dunkin’ purchases (such as by ordering ahead or paying in person through the app), or use your receipt to upload your purchase to your account later.

Another bonus of the Dunkin’ Rewards program is that it gives you access to exclusive coupons. These coupons can range from extra points to cheap deals on food and drinks. Each coupon will appear in your Dunkin’ app, so make sure it’s linked to your Dunkin’ Rewards account if you want to collect as many coupons as possible. You should know that Dunkin’ Rewards will always expire after six months, however, so don’t wait to use up your points as soon as you have enough for the item you want.

If you’re a big fan of all things Dunkin’, you might already be loading up your grocery store shopping cart with branded products like Dunkin’s packaged coffee creamers, Dunkin’ original blend coffee beans, and Dunkin’ Spiked beverages. Believe it or not, this gives you an extra opportunity to earn Dunkin’ Rewards points. Every time you purchase a Dunkin’ product at participating grocery stores, just snap a photo of your receipt and upload it to the Dunkin’ at Home Extras program. In exchange, you’ll get rewards points deposited straight into your account, helping you to earn free food and drinks even faster. You can upload up to one receipt per day through the program.

There are a few other opportunities within the Dunkin’ at Home Extras program to earn points, and none of them require a purchase. For example, you’ll get 10 points just for signing up, and another 10 if you choose to provide Dunkin’ with your birth month and day. You can also visit Dunkin’s website or refer a friend to the program for extra points, and posting about the program on X will even net you additional Dunkin’ Rewards points.

The number of times you can do each of these activities varies from one time only to multiple times per month. If you’re really dedicated to completing the activities as many times as possible, you could get 85 extra Dunkin’ Rewards points per month — and that’s not including uploading your purchases.

Let’s be clear here — Dunkin’s happy hour is not an official, brand-approved event anymore. However, because every Dunkin’ location is franchised, you’ll find that many stores choose to operate under their own rules.

Long-time Dunkin’ fans will probably remember that, back in the day, Dunkin’ used to host an official coffee “happy hour” from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The idea was to get more customers to stop in for a coffee after their work day. Heavy discounts would take place at Dunkin’ locations nationwide, with close to half off the original price being offered on some drinks.

While this isn’t the case for every store today, that doesn’t mean you won’t find any stores that still offer the deal. These select stores will usually advertise the fact that they have this happy hour deal going on — you’re likely to find some sort of sign or poster in the front of the store if your local Dunkin’ is still participating in the happy hour. Though there has been more of an effort to end the Dunkin’ happy hour for good across all stores, you’ll still find it in some areas.

Dunkin’ also occasionally brings the happy hour back for certain drinks as part of its promotional offers. For example, Dunkin’ offered a special discount on Sabrina Carpenter’s brown sugar shakin’ espresso for those who purchased the drink after 12 p.m.

You should always check your local Dunkin’ on any national coffee-related holiday to see what deals it has on offer. In the past, Dunkin’ has given out free coffee with a purchase on National Coffee Day (it even once offered limited-edition National Coffee Day bracelets, too), and the brand has also offered free donuts with any drink purchase on National Donut Day (as long as there’s not another Dunkin’ donut shortage, of course). These are usually the two best days for deals at Dunkin’. 

Keep in mind that these deals are offered through coupons on Dunkin’s app, so you’ll need to be a Dunkin’ Rewards member in order to participate. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to visit multiple Dunkin’ stores in one day to amass as many free coffees as possible, either. Your Dunkin’ Rewards account will give you a single coupon to use on National Coffee or Donut Day. Once it’s redeemed, you can’t use it at another store.

National Coffee Day is celebrated on September 29th, while National Donut Day falls on June 6th. There’s no guarantee that Dunkin’ will always offer a free deal on either of these days, but you’re likely to find some sort of special coupon to celebrate. Keep in mind that these deals will only remain active on the day itself — unlike other kinds of coupons, you won’t be able to use these Dunkin’ deals later in the week.

This is where Dunkin’s franchising gets really complicated. Dunkin’ used to offer discounts across all stores to those who brought in their own personal mug from home, but the brand stopped this promotion during the pandemic in 2020. Technically, this deal never officially returned to stores — but since every Dunkin’ is a franchised location, some Dunkin’ owners picked the deal back up on their own. Some Dunkin’ locations will only honor the deal if you have a Dunkin’ branded cup from the chain itself, while others are still busy honoring the Dunkin’ refillable drink cup deal from way back in 2015. 

You’ll need to check with your local Dunkin’ to make sure they can accept your reusable cup because not every location will. But if they do accept reusable cups, just make sure you have a clean cup that can properly hold the size and temperature of the drink you want to purchase. Depending on where you order from (pricing and discounts vary), you could get a discount on your coffee for bringing in your own cup. Cheers to that.

Dunkin’ has pulled back on coupon deals a little bit, so you won’t find as many coupons on its app or website as you once might have. But that doesn’t mean Dunkin’ has completely phased out its rewards system. You’re likely to see new coupons pop up semi-frequently on the app via your Dunkin’ Rewards account. Additionally, some customers say that even better (and more frequent) coupons are made available to those who sign up for texts and emails from Dunkin’. This is another good way to snag an exclusive Dunkin’ deal — as long as you keep an eye on your inbox, of course.

Check the app (and your messages) daily to see whether or not you’ve been offered a coupon. Some coupons will be made available to all users on the app, while others will be sent out exclusively to you. Coupons can vary based on your personal activity and how frequently you use your Dunkin’ account, which is why you need to check the app regularly to see if you have a good coupon waiting for you.

Coupons can range from extra points to discounts on food and drink items. You can claim a coupon in the app to use it for your mobile order or at the register — just make sure to check when it expires.

If you love a good breakfast at Dunkin’, you should look out for the brand’s combo deals. These most often appear when a new promotional meal or menu item arrives. In the past, Dunkin’ has offered $5 and $6 dollar meal deals, which usually combine two food items with a specific size of drink.

Some combo meals also come in the form of a discount offer with any drink purchase. For example, Dunkin’ has offered $3 breakfast sandwiches with the purchase of a drink in the past, though these deals are usually only available to Dunkin’ Rewards members.

Since most combo meal deals are advertised as limited-time promotional items that are available to everyone (not just Dunkin’ Rewards members), you’re more likely to find these discounts advertised outside of the app — such as on Dunkin’s website and via the brand’s commercials. This makes combo meal deals a whole lot easier to spot, even if you don’t have a Dunkin’ Rewards account.

If you already go to Dunkin’ frequently and are looking to save even more money, you should know about getting Boosted status through Dunkin’. This program is only available to customers who visit a Dunkin’ 12 times a month or more, which is why it’s really not worth it if you’re an infrequent Dunkin’ user. Going daily? Then you won’t have any problems reaching Boosted status.

Your Boosted status will appear in your Dunkin’ Rewards account, visible through your Dunkin’ app or on your profile on Dunkin’s website. Once you’ve earned your Boosted status, you’ll receive extra points on every single food and drink item you purchase, allowing you to rack up rewards even faster than before.

Additionally, Boosted members can access exclusive coupons that are only available to Boosted members. This can net you extra rewards points and discounts on Dunkin’s menu items.

As soon as you unlock Boosted status, you can keep your status for three months — even if you don’t continue buying 12 drinks per month. In the final month, however, you’ll need to purchase 12 drinks within the month in order to maintain your Boosted status for another three months. Basically, once you reach Boosted status, you’ve got two months of no required purchases, during which your Boosted account can’t expire.

One insider Dunkin’ tip is that not everyone will receive the same coupon offers. In fact, Dunkin’s Rewards system keeps an eye on the members who go frequently — and those who rarely go to Dunkin’ at all.

If you go often, you’re less likely to have coupons with significant discounts appearing in your inbox. But if you rarely make a Dunkin’ trip, you might find better offers in your app, to encourage you to visit a Dunkin’ store.

Dunkin’ customers have previously posted coupon comparisons between those who visit Dunkin’ often and those who haven’t gone within the past month (or more). Typically, those who visit often will receive no coupons or basic coupons (such as for extra points), while those who don’t visit regularly will get significant discounts, such as discounted food and drink items.

If you want to toe the line of ethics, you could always open up a separate Dunkin’ Rewards account using a different email address. Use your main Dunkin’ Rewards regularly every time you go, and use the second account infrequently. Check both for coupons each day, and you’ll probably find that the account you use the least has the best offers.

We’ve pointed out a lot of different benefits (and drawbacks) to the fact that all Dunkin’ locations are franchised, but one of the main things to know is that each Dunkin’ has the ability to set its own prices (within reason). Often, you’ll notice that high-traffic Dunkin’ stores (or those without many coffee shop competitors) will have higher prices than other Dunkin’ shops.

For example, Dunkin’ stores in airports and malls are likely to have noticeably higher prices than, say, those in a low-traffic town or on a quiet street. It’s not just the location that determines your Dunkin’s prices, though — franchise owners can choose to set their prices higher whether they’re situated right next to five other coffee shops or they’re the only coffee place in the whole city. Clearly, it’s not just about supply and demand to Dunkin’. In fact, prices vary so much from Dunkin’ to Dunkin’ that one college student built an app to help Dunkin’ customers find the lowest-priced store near them. Whether you use a Dunkin’ store locator or not, it’s probably best to check your nearest stores to see how much your regular order will cost (using the mobile app to check your order total with different store locations is the easiest way to do this).

There’s one last key to Dunkin’ franchises that you need to know about — and it goes along with checking the menu prices at every one of your local Dunkin’. This one, however, is a little bit more nefarious. Essentially, individual Dunkin’ stores can significantly increase their prices by charging you extra for a menu item “add-on” that should already be included in the item you’re purchasing.

For example, one customer reported on Reddit that their local Dunkin’ charged them an extra dollar for the egg on their egg and cheese sandwich. If they wanted to avoid this extra charge, they’d be left with just a cheese sandwich — which kind of defeats the point of having this item on the menu in the first place, right? Another post on the Dunkin’ subreddit claimed the same thing, with this user’s local Dunkin’ charging them nearly two dollars more for an egg on a sandwich that is supposed to have the egg included.

In order to spot shifty upcharges like this, you’ll need to either order ahead in the app (so you can see the breakdown of your total) or ask for your receipt. When prices are changed significantly like this, you’ll be able to see a line with an extra charge (and what it’s for) on your printed receipt. In the case of both Dunkin’ customers on Reddit, their mobile apps showed an extra charge for an egg underneath the total for their egg sandwich. The best practice for saving money at these kinds of Dunkin’ stores is to skip them entirely — who knows what kind of extra charges they’re not showing you.