Why Do Certain McDonald's Locations Charge For Dipping Sauce While Others Let It Slide?

When you order a meal from McDonald's, it's fair to expect some dipping sauce. Some locations, however, are strict about how many complimentary sauces they're willing to give out to each customer. This varies by store, but the main reason for the disparity is that each location is owned by a different individual.

McDonald's is a franchise chain, meaning that the overarching company doesn't own every location. Instead, a different franchisee owns and operates each store. As such, each restaurant is responsible for setting its prices based on factors specific to its region, like rent and minimum wage costs. McDonald's can recommend prices to each store, but the final say is the franchisee's responsibility. This became a point of contention in 2024 when McDonald's extended its $5 Meal Deal, upsetting many franchisees who didn't want to run it.

The same model holds true for McDonald's dipping sauces (which we ranked here). If a franchise is struggling financially, it may choose to charge for each additional condiment a customer requests. That said, even if a restaurant charges for extra sauces, some employees may not bother to include the additional cost.

Given that each McDonald's restaurant can charge a different amount for its products, there's no one price that applies to all locations. The experience also varies depending on your country, though most U.S. locations charge less than $1 per tub or packet. The price generally lands somewhere around $0.25 to $0.50.

While the prices per sauce will likely be the same at one restaurant, they may still vary between stores. Some Singapore locations reportedly sold dipping sauce, whipped butter, and hotcake syrup for $0.50 each while the salad dressing cost $0.70. Those same locations, however, still made dispensers of ketchup and chili sauce available for customer use, free of charge.

While some locations may charge up to $1 for a single sauce container, ordering through the McDonald's app (which knows way more about you than you think) clarifies how much each sauce costs. When you order something that comes with a condiment, you can add as many as the app allows, generally no more than two per meal. If you want more, you can request more when you pick up your order, though you may get charged for them depending on the location and employee.