Sign up for the “Yes2You” rewards for Kohls, and you will get an email with a free gift on your birthday. In 2018, the gift was $10 in Kohls Cash, which can be used to buy anything in the store. Kohls sells items from major brands like Nike and Adidas, so this is a seriously good birthday freebie.
If you sign up for the DD Perks Reward Program, you will get a coupon for a free medium drink on your birthday. Download the DD Perks app on your phone to keep track of points, and make it easier for you to redeem your drink.
When you sign up for Redbox Perks online, it makes the process of borrowing a movie so much easier. Instead of standing outside to browse their movie selection, you can check it ahead of time from the comfort of your own home. Go online to see what is available at your location, and reserve your DVD or Bluray. Once you get there, you just put in your credit card, and the machine automatically knows which movie to dispense for you. It’s much better than waiting out in the cold. As an added bonus, signing up for Redbox online means you get a free movie rental on your birthday!
For you Starbucks addicts out there, you really need to sign up for the Starbucks Rewards program. Earn points for your purchases, get discounts, and a free drink on your birthday.
Get a free dessert on any day of the year when you sign up for their email mailing list. Even if you do not sign up for their mailing list, servers at Applebees will still give you a free dessert on your birthday if you show them your photo ID.
If you sign up for the Victoria’s Secret “Angel” credit card, you will get a free gift on your birthday. Spoiler alert- it’s almost always one free pair of panties.
International House of Pancakes. Credit: Shutterstock
40. IHOP
The International House of Pancakes is known for having some of the best breakfast food in the US. Luckily for you, if you sign up for “MyHop”, you get a free meal for joining the mailing list. When your birthday rolls around, get another additional free meal!
Italian food lovers will enjoy going to Olive Garden for their birthday dinner. You have your choice of a free appetizer or dessert. If you are looking to order something that’s an amazing value, don’t forget their bottomless salad and breadsticks.
Beauty lovers will already show at Ulta for their amazing products. If you sign up for Ulta Rewards, you can keep track of your purchases, and get coupons on a regular basis. During your birthday month, enjoy 2x the normal points for purchases, and you also get a free gift.
Years ago, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels gave out those little cardboard punch cards to keep track of your purchases. They have done away with that system in favor of the Pretzel Perks app. You get coupons and free items periodically, as well as a free classic pretzel on your birthday.
Edible Arrangements is a company that makes bouquets of fresh fruit to send to your loved ones on special occasions. If you sign up for the Edible Arrangement rewards program, you can get a free arrangement for every three purchases, plus a free box of chocolate dipped fruit on your birthday, which normally costs $29.99. That is a seriously great gift!
Who doesn’t love a new pair of shoes on your birthday? Sign up for the Designer Shoe Warehouse DSW VIP Rewards to get a $5 coupon on your birthday, which is good towards anything in the store.
If you are eating at the Cheesecake Factory on your birthday, let the server know, and they will bring you out a free mini hot fudge sundae after your meal. Yum!
Cracker Barrel is a family-friendly favorite for their delicious food and gift shop. If you tell the server that it is your birthday, they will bring you a free dessert.
Sign up for the Krispy Kreme Rewards to get a free donut on your birthday. You also get a free donut immediately when you download the app, so you may as well celebrate early.
If Buca Di Beppo is available in your location, you will love it for their authentic Italian food. You will get a $20 gift card for your birthday to go towards your entire order. Just sign up for their eClub.
If you sign up for the Cinemark Weekly Email, you will get notified of any discounts and deals, and you can get a free small popcorn on your birthday. If it just so happens to land on their discounted movie night, you can save even more!
Club Cinnabon offers a free minibon roll on your birthday, which is perfect for anyone who already plans to visit the mall to treat themselves to a mini shopping spree.
Barnes and Noble book stores always have a Starbucks cafe attached to the store, and few people realize that kids get a free cupcake on their birthday. This is a perfect combo if you plan to buy your little one a book as a gift.
JCPenney Awards program, you will get a special offer emailed to you on your birthday. This is usually a coupon that works like a gift card that you can use towards anything in the store.
Birthdays are special, so you’ll want your dogs and cats to celebrate, too. When you sign up for the Petco Pals Rewards, your pet gets a free treat on their birthday. If you’re not sure when they were born, just give your own date of birth to get your furry friend a gift, anyway.
Join Uno’s Pizzeria and Grill’s Uno’s Insiders Club membership, and you get a free appetizer just for signing up. Then, you get a free dessert on your birthday.
Going out to the movies costs a small fortune, so you might as well make the most of your spending by joining the Regal Crown Club. Collect points every time you go to the movies to exchange for free tickets and snacks. And on your birthday, you can celebrate with a free small popcorn.
When you sign up for Boston Market’s eClub, you automatically get a coupon for $3 off a $10 purchase. Plus, on your birthday, you will get an e-mail for a free dessert.
If you love going to all-you-can-eat buffets, you should go on your birthday. This covers all of the following restaurants: Old Country Buffet, Hometown Buffet, Fire Mountain, Granny’s Buffet, and Ryan’s Buffet.
You can buy just about anything you need at CVS Pharmacy, and you may want to stop there on your way to work, or wherever else you are going for the day, because you can get a free $3 in Extracare Bucks that can be used on anything in the store. You can also get $3 just by signing up for their app, so it’s double the free perks.
In the mood for a delicious hoagie? Sign up for the Firehouse Sub mailing list at least a week before your birthday to score a free medium sub. Children under 13 years old can get a free kid’s combo.
Download the app for the IKEA Family plan to get the company news letter and special offers. If you sign up and continue being a member for a year, being apart of their club allows you to get a free meal in the cafeteria on your birthday, as well as a free item up to a $15 value. It may sound like a long time to wait, but if you frequent IKEA for your household needs, it will become a new yearly tradition.
If you ask the manager of McDonald’s nicely, you can score a free happy meal for kids. Sorry, grown-ups. We don’t get anything on our birthday. But if you download the McDonald’s App, you can get some great discounts and occasional free items at random.
Chinese food is always a good idea. Especially when it’s P.F. Chang’s. Frequent customers can join the P.F. Chang’s Rewards program, where every 2,000 points equals one free entree, and you get 1,000 points just for signing up. You also get a special free treat on your birthday.
Nothing beats Rita’s water ice on a hot day. If your birthday happens to land in the spring and summer, you can get a free treat by joining their birthday club. Sadly, Rita’s is closed in the winter.
On your birthday, you can get a free Frosty. Just keep in mind that the cashier may not know the policy, so don’t be afraid to politely ask the manager.