Dunkin’ is a bakery that’s best known for its donuts and it also serves coffee and several types of blended drinks. It was originally called Dunkin’ Donuts but it shortened its name to promote its expanded menu. You could think of Dunkin’ as either a coffee shop or a donut bakery because it offers a lot of choices in both areas, but it’s still a relatively specialized business. It does serve bagel sandwiches for breakfast and it has hot chocolate as well.
Dunkin’ also has drive-thru lanes at many of its bakeries. That’s noteworthy because there are a lot of donut shops that don’t have drive-thru lanes, although drive-thru lanes are common at quick-service restaurants. You might also want to use Dunkin’s drive-thru lane to pick up coffee or a sandwich in the morning. This restaurant has some 24-hour locations but it’s likely to be busier in the morning because its menu includes many popular breakfast items. Here are the payment methods that you can use at Dunkin’.
Does Dunkin’ Accept Major Credit Cards?
Dunkin’ accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover cards at its bakeries. It accepts debit cards and credit cards.
Dunkin’ also accepts cash. Its bakeries are franchised so individual owners decide whether to accept large bills. A bakery might also refuse to accept $50 or $100 bills if it doesn’t have enough cash on hand to provide change. This is a common situation at many restaurants when customers try to pay with $100 bills early in the morning.
Does Dunkin’ Accept Mobile Payment Methods?
Dunkin’ accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and other contactless payment methods at its bakeries. It was one of the first restaurants to support contactless payments and it had this technology available in 2015.
Dunkin’ also has an iPhone app and an Android app. Its iPhone app has taken Apple Pay since 2015 and it has accepted PayPal for online orders since 2012.
Does Dunkin’ Accept International Payment Methods?
Since Dunkin’ accepts Discover cards, it’s highly likely that it can accept JCB and UnionPay cards by processing them through the Discover network. It can also use this process to accept RuPay global cards. Dunkin’ serves vegetarian breakfast sandwiches made with plant-based meat so vegetarian tourists might want to know about this.
Does Dunkin’ Accept EBT?
Dunkin’ doesn’t accept EBT at its Southern California bakeries. Restaurants can only accept EBT if they sign up for the Restaurant Meals program. But I checked the lists of Restaurant Meals program participants in several Southern California counties and I didn’t see this bakery on those lists. That’s not surprising, though, because other coffee shops and donut shops typically don’t accept this payment option either.
If you’re looking for an alternative, many fast-food restaurants accept EBT in Southern California. These restaurants, such as Jack in the Box, usually serve coffee and may also have a few baked dessert treats such as churros.
Does Dunkin’ Have Its Own Payment Methods?
Dunkin’ sells branded gift cards. It also has reloadable Dunkin’ Cards that are linked to prepaid accounts, which is noteworthy. Like Starbucks, Dunkin’ has convinced its customers to prepay for their coffee to earn rewards and this gives it additional financial flexibility. Financial websites have argued that Starbucks can be considered a bank because of the money it collects in its prepaid accounts, and because of the Dunkin’ Cards you could argue that Dunkin’ is operating like a bank as well.
You can split payments at Dunkin’ so it is possible to use a gift card or a Dunkin’ Card to pay for part of a purchase and then use a credit card to pay the remaining balance.
What’s Another Useful Fact About Dunkin’?
Some Dunkin’ bakeries offer free wi-fi service. That might be useful if you’re working from home and want to get out of the house for a while.
What Are Dunkin’ Alternatives That Accept Apple Pay?
Krispy Kreme is Dunkin’s main competitor. It’s also best known for its donuts and it serves coffee and a variety of blended drinks as well.
Philz Coffee is a premium coffee shop that stocks several coffee blends and it also sells donuts. It’s one of the few coffee shops that sells donuts.
Starbucks is a coffee shop that also serves tea and several types of freshly baked pastries, although I haven’t seen donuts there. Like Dunkin’, it has sophisticated financial technology.
Noah’s Bagels is a bakery that makes many types of bagels and it can also make custom bagel sandwiches. It also serves coffee, lemonade, and other drinks.
Panera Bread is a fast-casual cafe that serves coffee and bagels as well as many other entrees. It bakes many types of bread and it also serves soups and salads.
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf also has cafes throughout Southern California that serve coffee, tea, blended drinks, and pastries. I haven’t seen donuts there either.
Dutch Bros is another coffee shop that has drive-thru lanes at many of its locations. It has lots of shops that are specifically designed for drive-thru customers.