Could AI Charge You More Than the Next Customer?

Could a fast-food app use AI to charge one customer more than another for the same meal? That is a reasonable question—but it is not what the evidence reviewed here establishes about McDonald’s.

Reuters reported on 30 September 2026 that McDonald’s had a machine-learning tool designed to recommend menu prices at individual restaurants. The report described franchisee concerns that recommendations could create pressure to raise prices. On 1 October, McDonald’s said AI does not set or change menu prices and does not determine what an individual customer pays; it said franchisees set prices independently.

Those accounts are not identical: one describes a recommendation tool and concerns about how it may be used; the other states the company’s position on who sets prices. The reporting reviewed here does not establish that McDonald’s uses AI to show different customers different base prices. The Reuters report focused on the US franchise system and does not establish a UK rollout.

Four ideas that are easy to confuse

• A price recommendation is advice to a business or franchisee. A person or local operator may still make the final decision.
• Dynamic pricing changes a displayed price over time or in response to market conditions, such as demand or available capacity.
• A personalised offer is a discount, voucher or promotion selected for a customer. It may change the amount that person pays without changing the standard menu price.
• Individualised pricing means using information about a particular person to set the price they are shown or charged for the same product.

These practices can overlap, but evidence of one does not prove another. A tool that suggests different base prices for different restaurants is not, by itself, proof that the app varies the price customer by customer.

What information might affect pricing?

In principle, a business pricing model could consider ingredient and labour costs, local demand, stock, competitor prices or sales patterns. A separate promotions system might use a customer’s purchase history or loyalty preferences. Those are examples of possible inputs across the industry; the sources reviewed do not provide a complete list of the McDonald’s tool’s actual inputs.

For a customer, the important questions are what price is being set, whether it changes by location or time, whether an offer is targeted, and whether personal information is being used to determine the amount shown. For a business, the questions include whether the data is accurate, whether the recommendation is explainable and who remains accountable for the final decision.

How businesses can use pricing tools responsibly

1. 1Write down the objective. Is the tool recommending a standard price, adjusting a time-based price or selecting discounts?
2. 2Document the inputs and limits. Avoid using personal information unless there is a clear purpose, lawful basis and appropriate safeguards.
3. 3Name the decision-maker. If a person is expected to review recommendations, give them the authority and information to reject them.
4. 4Test outcomes. Check whether recommendations create unexpected differences between locations or customer groups, and investigate before launch.
5. 5Explain the customer experience. Make promotions, eligibility rules and meaningful price changes understandable rather than hiding them in fine print.

The Competition and Markets Authority has discussed pricing, competition and consumer protection in its broader work. That is useful context for businesses, not a ruling about McDonald’s or proof that a particular tool breaks the law. Specific legal duties depend on the product, data and market.

AI may help a company organise evidence for a pricing decision. It should not make that decision harder to explain. The evidence in this story supports a careful discussion about recommendations and transparency—not the claim that McDonald’s is charging each customer a different AI-set price.

Sources and further reading

Reuters reporting, republished by The Japan Times →

McDonald’s: its statement on how menu prices are set →

UK Competition and Markets Authority: pricing and consumer protection →