Tennessee Redditor built up Wendy’s rewards and claimed their free burger on a lunch break. Then they opened it: ‘They gave you a beef coaster’

A Tennessee resident recently discovered that loyalty rewards sometimes come with a surprising catch, especially when you don’t pay attention.

The user, known as lhill98 on Reddit, shared their experience on the Wendy’s subreddit earlier this month after cashing in 350 points for a Jr Bacon Cheeseburger during a lunch break. 

In their post, they wrote, “The thinnest patty I have ever seen like… I am pretty sure a smash burger patty is thicker than this. But hey, it was “free” (And before anyone ask, no I did not check immediately I ordered this on my lunch break so I was kind of in a rush to get back to work to eat.) To make matters even more confusing, the user noted that the burger was different in another way. They wrote, “AND IT WASNT SQUARE,” referring to Wendy’s signature shape.

One commenter quipped, “That’s not a smash burger, that’s charcoal, crust, and s–t stuck in your teeth for the next 3 days.” Another person added, “Babes somebody sat on your sandwich.” One user provided a particularly memorable description, saying, “They gave you a beef coaster.” Wendy’s themselves have not commented on the post.

Wendy’s has been working hard on their loyalty program

Others leaned into the irony of the situation with comments like, “The c stands for cardboard” and, “That’s a special paper sheet thick burger [they] save just for anyone redeeming a coupon. Lol.” Another wrote, “2 ply beef paper.” Recently, a LongHorn Steakhouse customer found themselves in a similar size comparison situation when their plate of steak rolled up. He held a finger to it, and it was just slightly bigger than his fingertip.

Not long after that, a TikToker claimed that LongHorn allegedly cut its kids’ sirloin from 6 oz to 4 oz after adults exploited it as a budget dining hack. Then there were the users who called out Wendy’s. One rightfully observed, “That’s no reward! That’s a punishment! They gave you a whisper of patty!” Another took it a step further by simply linking to a famous advertisement by Wendy’s, “Where’s the Beef?”

According to Restaurant Business Online, Wendy’s is trying to evolve its rewards system to be more than just simple points or discounts and is experimenting with merchandise drops, offering tote bags, charm bracelets, and even digital cameras to loyal members, which proved to be incredibly popular. Per the outlet, the company is trying to build a deeper connection with its 56 million rewards members.

“We see loyalty as a growth engine that rewards our most engaged fans with exclusive experiences they can’t find anywhere else,” VP of Digital Marketing at The Wendy’s Company Whitney Gretz told Restaurant Business Online. “We deepen their connection to the brand and turn their advocacy into momentum.” The goal is to move toward a model similar to hotels or airlines. “The best programs work because users feel genuinely recognized and celebrated,” Gretz said. “It doesn’t feel transactional.”

Despite these grand ambitions, the reality for lhill98 was a lunch break featuring disappointment rather than a celebrated experience. As one Reddit user put it, “Bruh, you should get a refund even though it was free wtf is that lmao.”