How to Get Free Food at Tim Hortons

November 2025 update

The mindset that makes “free” possible

At Tims, “free” isn’t one secret coupon—it’s stacking. The routine looks like this:
app signup bonus → in-app offer → Tims Rewards redemption → tiny threshold nudge → pickup (no delivery fees) → repeat during promo windows.
Follow that sequence and the checkout screen starts saying $0.00 a lot more often.

How a Tim Hortons total is built (so you can dismantle it)

Menu price (base price before promos)
In-app offers (BOGO, dollars-off, free item with purchase, time-boxed bundles)
Tims Rewards (points that redeem for free items)
Taxes (province-based; gift cards/credits mop these up)
Tip & delivery platform fees (only if using third-party delivery—avoid when aiming for $0)
Credits/gift cards (behave like cash at checkout)

Your job: lower the first two lines with offers + rewards, avoid delivery fees with pickup, then let credits erase the pennies.

The “$0 Tims Order” recipe (follow this every time)

Step 1: Grab the app signup freebie if you’re new

New Tims app users who enroll in Tims Rewards typically see a free medium beverage with a small minimum purchase on the first eligible transaction. Time your very first order to a day with strong offers to multiply the value.

Step 2: Shop the Offers tile before you even think about food

Open the app and scroll the banners. Look for:

BOGO drinks or baked goods
“$ off when you spend $X” (e.g., $1 or $2 off a small basket)
“Free item with any purchase”
Time-boxed bundles (breakfast pairings, lunchtime wraps, afternoon snacks)

Build your cart inside the rules of the offer (sizes, time of day, eligible items).

Step 3: Turn on pickup (Mobile Order & Pay)

Pickup avoids third-party delivery fees and keeps your offers intact. Choose the pickup style that fits your day: counter, curbside, or drive-thru check-in.

Step 4: Redeem Tims Rewards points as the closer

Tims Rewards earns at a fixed rate and redeems in item-based tiers (coffee/tea, baked goods, lunch items, etc.). Add a reward item after applying your in-app offer so the reward wipes out something you still owe. That pairing—one offer + one reward—is the heart of most $0 outcomes.

Step 5: Nudge thresholds with a tiny add-on

If an offer fires at a minimum (say, spend $2) and you’re at $1.70, add the lowest-cost eligible item you’ll actually use (a plain donut, hashbrown, or small baked good). Unlocking the discount by adding a $0.99 item can be a net win.

Step 6: Pay with credits/gift cards (optional but powerful)

If you keep a small Tims gift card balance in your wallet, it mops up leftover cents and taxes so your final reads $0.00.

Tims Rewards 2025: what’s new and what matters

Earning: You earn points per dollar spent on eligible transactions. (Rounded to the nearest ten cents, based on pre-tax subtotal.)
Redeeming: Points convert to specific free items grouped by tiers—hot or iced beverages, baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, lunch items, etc.
Strategy: Redeem for the largest eligible item in a tier to maximize value (e.g., size up your beverage if the tier allows it).
Birthday: If you’re eligible for a birthday offer, make sure your birthdate is in the app at least a week in advance so it loads on the big day.
Targeted bonuses: Watch for “earn extra points when you buy X” missions or limited-time member offers in the app.

Power move: Use low-cost weekday coffees to farm points; spend those points on higher-value lunch items during busier windows.

Seasonal jackpots to circle on your calendar

Roll Up To Win (spring; sometimes repeats later in the year)

Tims’ flagship event lets members collect digital rolls in the app for a chance at free food, drinks, and big-ticket prizes. There are hard deadlines to reveal and redeem rolls—mark the dates so you don’t miss freebies. Stack a Roll Up win with an in-app offer and a reward redemption to build a $0 order.

Short “scan to win” bursts

Tims also runs shorter app contests where every scan is an entry for a few weeks. No purchase is often required—check the rules—so it’s perfect for snagging extra freebies while you’re points-grinding cheap items.

National event tie-ins

During big national moments (sports tournaments, holidays), Tims sometimes drops member-only freebies with a small minimum purchase (e.g., Timbits with a low spend). Use these windows to chain multiple free or nearly free orders in a week.

The quiet stack no one talks about: reusable cups

Bringing your clean reusable cup to Tims knocks a small discount off hot and cold beverages in Canada. It’s not huge, but when you’re finessing a threshold or trying to hit $0.00, that dime matters—especially on repeat orders.

Cart math you can copy (worked examples)

Scenario A: $0 solo coffee + snack (new user)

App signup perk: free medium beverage with small minimum
Add a low-cost baked good to cross the minimum
Apply the perk → drink becomes $0
Redeem points for a second baked good or size upgrade (if eligible)
Pickup; small gift card balance covers pennies → $0.00

Scenario B: Breakfast for two, near zero

Offer: BOGO breakfast sandwiches (or “$ off $X+” breakfast bundle)
Subtotal drops after the offer
Redeem points for hashbrown or coffee
Nudge with a donut if you’re pennies under a threshold
Gift card wipes taxes → $0 or close

Scenario C: Roll Up week, free lunch

You’ve banked a free wrap from Roll Up
App offer shows “free small coffee with any purchase”
Add the smallest eligible purchase to trigger the coffee offer
Redeem the Roll Up free wrap; pickup; credits cover pennies → $0

Scenario D: Afternoon office run

Offer: “$1 off when you spend $3”
Add two baked goods + one medium iced coffee → cross $3
Apply $1 off → Redeem points for one of the baked goods
Reusable cup next time to shave the line even tighter

Advanced tactics for pros

Offer-first ordering

Every session starts with Offers, not cravings. If there’s no good banner now, check again around breakfast or lunch—offer rotations often improve at peak windows.

Tier-max redemptions

Within each reward tier, choose the largest or most expensive item allowed. If a tier covers any size hot coffee, redeem a large, not a small.

Threshold Tetris (with purpose)

Cross minimums with items that don’t go to waste: a plain bagel for tomorrow, a Timbits box to share, or a bottled water for your gym bag.

Calendar nudges

Early March: Roll Up launch—plan daily scans and redemptions
Late summer/September: watch for shorter scan-to-win bursts
Your birthday week: make sure your birthday offer is loaded and ready

Small gift card strategy

Keep $5–$10 in your in-app wallet. It converts near-zero into zero regularly and speeds pickup.

Ethics & good vibes

Be kind at the counter; have your order code ready.
Don’t multi-account or abuse promos; just play the stack.
If staff help you puzzle through a complicated order, say thanks—it matters.

Troubleshooting (when something won’t stack)

“My reward and my offer won’t apply together.”
Try a different reward item, or apply the offer first and add the reward item last. Some combos are restricted.

“I’m still a few cents short of free.”
You’re under a threshold or missing a small minimum. Add the lowest-cost eligible item and recheck the offer. Your gift card should mop up the rest.

“My Roll Up or birthday item isn’t showing.”
Confirm you’re signed in, your dates haven’t passed, and your birthday is stored at least a week in advance. Reload the Offers tile.

“Points posted slowly.”
Give it a bit, then plan your redemption on the next visit. In the meantime, run an offer that doesn’t require points.

Reusable checklist (bookmark this)

Open the app → Offers first.
Let the banner pick your items.
Choose pickup to dodge delivery fees.
Apply one strongest in-app offer.
Redeem a Rewards item as the closer.
Nudge thresholds with a tiny, useful add-on.
Keep a small gift card balance to erase pennies and tax.
Roll Up / scan-to-win windows: scan daily and redeem on time.
Birthday: make sure the offer is loaded; spend it!
Repeat next week.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use more than one offer at a time?
Expect one offer per order, but you can typically redeem one Rewards item alongside it. That pairing is where $0 magic happens.

Can points cover taxes and tip?
Points zero out items; taxes are separate. Use gift cards/credits to clear remaining cents and any tip on delivery orders.

Is delivery worth it when chasing “free”?
Rarely. Third-party delivery fees erase savings. Pickup keeps the stack clean.

What’s the best time to go for $0?
Breakfast to farm points cheaply; lunch/afternoon to spend them when stronger banners appear.

Do reusable cups actually help?
Yes—a small discount applies on hot or cold beverages when you bring a clean reusable cup in Canada. Not huge, but great for threshold math.

Case study: $0 coffee-and-lunch combo (realistic flow)

Offers show free small coffee with any purchase.
Add a wrap (eligible for a Rewards redemption you banked last week).
Apply coffee freebie → coffee drops to $0.
Redeem the wrap with points.
You’re pennies short of zero; add a plain donut to cross a minimum on a $1-off banner.
Pickup; gift card wipes the pennies.
Checkout pops $0.00 due. That’s the stack working.

Engagement ideas (to keep readers scrolling)

Roll Up Sprint: Log five scans in five days and redeem at least two prizes before the deadline.
Threshold Tetris: Start a cart at $1.80; add the smartest $0.50–$1 item to unlock a bigger discount.
Birthday Week Clean-Sweep: Plan three app visits—points grind, birthday freebie, and one stacked $0 order.

The habit that makes this automatic

Every time you open Tims:
Offers first → pickup → one offer + one reward → tiny threshold nudge → gift card finish → scan during promo windows.
Make that a reflex and $0 orders go from rare to routine.