McDonald’s is making another play to win back cost-conscious customers with a pair of new incentives.

On March 11, the Wall Street Journal reported that, starting in April, the fast-food chain plans to launch “new deals and discounts” to position itself one deep-fried step ahead of competitors.

According to the report, McDonald’s plans to roll out a new value menu with items priced at $3 or less, intended to provide more flexibility and choice, according to folks familiar with the discussions. The chain is also readying new $4 breakfast meal deals.

The $4 meal deal will feature breakfast options including a McMuffin, hash brown and coffee. The $3-and-less menu will include items like a sausage biscuit or a 4-piece Chicken McNuggets, replacing the buy-one, add-one-for-a-dollar menu introduced in 2025.

A "Welcome" sign outside a McDonald's restaurant in LaBelle, Florida, US, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.
A “Welcome” sign outside a McDonald’s restaurant in LaBelle, Florida, US, on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.Zak Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“We have achieved incredible progress together and remain committed to meeting ever-changing customer needs,” McDonald’s said in a message Monday to its franchisees, according to WSJ.

It has been pushing for nearly two years to cement itself as an affordable destination after surveys showed that many fast-food customers no longer considered McDonald’s to be one.

This comes after videos of customers complaining about how costly things had gotten at the chain went viral on social media in the past couple of years. In one such video, a customer pays $17 for two Filet-O-Fish sandwiches; in anotehr, one pays $3 for a single hash brown.

In 2024, McDonald’s introduced $5 meal deals, and by January 2025, added a range of $1 options that customers could score paired with a full-priced item. In fall 2025, McDonald’s struck a deal with U.S. franchisees to slash combo-meal prices.

Lately, customers have been sharing their inexpensive hauls at the chain: In February, a creator extolled the virtues of spending $5 to get a full meal at her local Mickey D’s.

President and CEO Chris Kempczinski, now infamous for his tiny burger bite, said during a February investor call that the team plans to “make sure that we are protecting our leadership position in value.” According to the chain, it’s working: More lower-income consumers are ordering combo meals, and customers are giving the chain higher marks for affordability.

McDonald’s and its franchisees spent tens of millions advertising its cheaper combo meals, and the company expected to provide about $35 million to franchises that took a profit hit from selling the items earlier this year, McDonald’s CFO Ian Borden said in a February interview. The company’s combo-meal assistance to franchisees stops at the end of March.

McDonald’s said in January it would further refine its approach after internal research and asked operators for their support. Franchisees can vote on whether to adopt national incentives like value deals and price cuts.

McDonald’s said in a Monday message to franchisees that the 2026 McValue update was approved by franchisee groups with “unanimous alignment,” and it plans to start training restaurants on the new deals and meals in the coming weeks.