McDonald’s is testing ads on its drive-thru menus

# McDonald’s is testing ads on its drive-thru menus Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/999295/mcdonalds-drive-thru-menu-ads](https://www.theverge.com/tech/999295/mcdonalds-drive-thru-menu-ads) [Skip to main content](https://www.theverge.com/tech/999295/mcdonalds-drive-thru-menu-ads#content) Ads from other brands will show up on digital menu boards after customers place their orders\. Ads from other brands will show up on digital menu boards after customers place their orders\. by Sep 23, 2026, 1:52 PM UTC   Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images [](https://www.theverge.com/authors/emma-roth) Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more\. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO\. McDonald’s is putting ads on its drive\-thru menu as part of a “limited” pilot at company\-owned restaurants, according[to a report from*Bloomberg*](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-09-21/mcdonald-s-is-testing-ads-on-its-menu-screens)\. Drive\-thru locations included in the test will show ads from other brands on digital menu boards after a customer places their order, which they’ll see while they wait for their meal\. In a statement to*Bloomberg*, a McDonald’s spokesperson says the test allows the company to explore “ways to share post\-purchase content that customers may find helpful, relevant, or interesting\.” As noted by*Bloomberg*, selling ads on McDonald’s menu boards could open up another stream of revenue for the company,[which is facing slowing sales in the US](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/mcdonalds-sales-struggle-value-meals-rcna590683)\. Along with ads on digital menu boards, McDonald’s has revealed plans to move forward[with its AI\-powered ArchIQ assistant](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/23/mcdonalds-investor-day-remodels-training-chicken-growth-plans.html), which it[recently showed taking orders](https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/947644/mcdonalds-latest-ai-drive-thru-test-will-let-customers-ask-can-i-get-my-usual)in both English and Spanish, as well as identifying repeat customers and “remembering” their orders\. **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - Emma Roth ## The Verge Daily A free daily digest of the news that matters most\.