Woman exposes what KFC allegedly does to prices after you add the ‘free delivery’ deal. Her $4 go buckets are now $7.20: ‘thought we wouldn’t realize’

A TikTok creator has sparked debate over food delivery pricing. She claims KFC‘s app increased menu prices when she added a promotion for free delivery. This turned what appeared to be a bargain into a significantly more expensive order. TikTok creator Aleishawalker_ (@Aleishawalker_) documented what she said happened while placing an order through the KFC app on a Friday night before heading to work.

According to Aleishawalker, she initially added two Go Buckets, a burger, and a 10-piece nugget order to her cart. She showed screenshots indicating the Go Buckets cost $4.95 each, the nuggets cost $9.95, and her total came to $31.80, which qualified for a promotion advertising free delivery on orders over $30.

“So I was like, perfect, my order was $31. I’ve just hit the limit, so I’m gonna get free delivery.” However, she said the app then displayed a notification explaining that her cart would be cleared and that she needed to add the items again after selecting the promotion.

Same order, different price

Once she followed instructions, she said, “We’ve now got two Go Buckets, $14.40, which is $7.20 each. They were $4 something before,” she said. She also claimed the nuggets increased from $9.95 to $11.95, while the burger price also rose, although she noted she did not capture a screenshot of that item.

Her revised total climbed to $45.50.”I didn’t click check out,” she explained. “I didn’t wanna pay the extra, but either way, 41.55, we’re still $10 over. Make it make sense.” The video’s caption concluded, “KFC thought we wouldn’t realize.” KFC has not publicly responded to the specific claims shown in the TikTok video.

Consumer Reports has reported that menu prices on third-party delivery platforms are often higher than prices listed by restaurants on their own websites. The publication said restaurant owners may raise those prices to offset the commission fees charged by delivery services. Aleishawalker’s complaint differed because she alleged the higher prices appeared after selecting a promotion within KFC’s own app rather than through a third-party delivery platform.

The post prompted hundreds of comments, with viewers divided over whether the pricing reflected a problem or a common practice in food delivery. One commenter argued regulators should examine the issue, writing, “Free delivery but making the products more expensive should be investigated by the ACCC.” The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, where Aleishawalker is based.

Others said they were not surprised. “I thought everyone knew this? When you get delivery, every single item is a higher price. It’s like when you go on Doordash for example, Maccas items are like $5 more than normal,” one person commented.

Another added, “Everyone is saying this is obvious and everyone knows this, but if you’re ordering direct on their app and paying for delivery, why would you expect items to cost more? Of course I pay more on uber eats, doordash etc it’s a third-party app.”