2024 Birthday Freebies
Once a year, we all have a special day worth celebrating.
The good news is… lots of companies want to give you free stuff on your birthday as their way of celebrating with you.
In this article you will find a list of ONLY the “most generous” places that give away “really big” and “really unique” free stuff on your birthday:
- The Biggest & Best FOOD Birthday Freebies
- The Best NON-FOOD Things You Can Get For Free On Your Birthday
- FAMILY-FRIENDLY Places That Provide FREE Admission On Your Birthday
Plus… Clever ways to celebrate your birthday for an entire month. That’s right. At the end of this article you will find my best tips and strategies for receiving (and taking advantage of!) a whole MONTH of birthday freebies.
Once you see all of the amazing things you can get for FREE on your birthday, I bet you find plenty of fun places to visit for your birthday this year!
The Thing About Most Free Birthday Rewards Lists
I’ll be honest… You can find lists and lists (and even more lists!) of FREE birthday things all over the Internet. That’s because — well, everyone likes FREE stuff.
Usually, the writer’s goal is to push out content focusing on as many FREE things they can find. But those types of lists very quickly become out-of-date!
They’re striving for quantity (long lists). Rather than quality (the biggest and best freebies). And no one bothers to update those long lists as soon as a “special” stops being offered at one place or another.
Below, I’m only listing the FREE items that are unusually generous — in size, quantity, or quality.
In other words, companies that go above and beyond with their FREE birthday offers!
Ultimate List Of ONLY The Biggest & Best Free Birthday Stuff
The obvious birthday freebie that I feel obligated to start with is FREE ice cream on your birthday…
Baskin Robbins is the place that most people think of first for “free ice cream” (perhaps because they’ve been around the longest). So here you go!… Join the Baskin Robbins Birthday Club, and 5 days prior to your birthday you will receive an email containing your coupon to receive a FREE scoop.
However, the Baskin Robbins birthday freebie is just the starting point for this list. There are much bigger and better birthday freebies out there — especially when it comes to FREE ice cream on your birthday!
The best food, drinks & meals you can get for FREE on your birthday…
Cold Stone Creamery does something similar — but better. They call it a Birthday BOGO. After signing up for My Cold Stone Club Rewards, you will automatically receive a “Buy One, Get One FREE Creation” every year on your birthday. It arrives in your rewards account 7 days before your birthday. And you have 7 days after your birthday to use it. Since no one goes to Cold Stone Creamery alone (right?)… it shouldn’t be difficult to find someone to share your BOGO with. Besides, who wants just a “scoop” of ice cream, anyway? At Cold Stone Creamery, you get to make your own FREE “ice cream creation” — you know, with sprinkles and candy and all of the fun stuff in it!
At Dairy Queen they’ve switched their rewards program from the Blizzard Fan Club to DQ Rewards. On your birthday, you get a 16-ounce FREE Blizzard in your choice of flavors. (Yep… still better than “a scoop.”)
If you’ve ever been to Crumbl Cookie, then you know how amazing this birthday freebie is. Not only do you earn points towards Crumbl CASH to spend on future cookies, but your Crumbl Cookie Loyalty Account automatically rewards you with a FREE cookie each year on your birthday! But we’re not talking about just any cookie. We’re talking a ginormous 4.5-inch diameter cookie that weighs 5.5 ounces! And you get to choose from their flavors of the week.
At Starbucks you get a FREE item on your birthday. You get to choose either a FREE handcrafted beverage OR a FREE food item OR a FREE ready-to-drink bottled beverage. Choices are great — wouldn’t you agree? Your Starbucks birthday freebie will be automatically added to your account on the day of your birthday, and it’s only good on that date. (NOTE: To get the birthday freebie, you must have made at least one Star-earning transaction first.)
If you’re going out on the town and you live near New York City, you can get FREE drinks on your birthday at a bunch of different bars in New York City. Here are a few more places where you can drink for FREE on your birthday in NYC. And while you’re there, you may as well visit a few of these places in NYC to get a FREE sweet treat on your birthday, too. (It’s no secret that most clubs give FREE drinks on your birthday all across the country. Usually, all you have to do is ask!)
Want your entire breakfast for FREE? On your birthday, you can get 1 FREE doughnut AND 1 FREE small coffee or fountain drink at Krispy Kreme. Just sign up for Krispy Kreme Rewards first. Your free breakfast will appear on the first day of your birthday month — and it’s good until the last day of your birthday month. I highly enjoy my Krispy Kreme birthday freebie every year.
This next breakfast birthday freebie is from IHOP. As a member of their rewards program, not only do you get a FREE pancakes right away just for signing up, but IHOP also gives you FREE pancakes every year for your birthday, too. You can’t beat a free birthday meal like pancakes — they’re so filling.
If you like pancakes, then you have options… because Denny’s also gives you FREE pancakes on your birthday. They’re just as filling and just as delicious as IHOP’s in my opinion. To take advantage of the Denny’s birthday freebie, just sign up for Denny’s Rewards.
Many restaurants will typically give the birthday person a FREE meal when an accompanying guest purchases their own meal. Heck, a 50% discount can make eating out at an upscale restaurant quite affordable these days! Here’s the ultimate list of restaurants that give you a free meal on your birthday.
One of the best birthday freebies from a restaurant in my opinion is the FREE burger at Red Robin. (You get to choose from Gourmet Burgers, Tavern Burgers, or Veggie & More on the menu.) As a member of Red Robin Royalty, you receive bottomless perks, freebies, and other specials throughout the year, as well. Plus, the Red Robin birthday freebie is good for the entire month of your birthday! (NOTE: Red Robin now requires a $4.99 menu purchase on the day that you take advantage of your birthday reward. But that’s doable when you simply add a milkshake, drink, and/or side item onto your FREE birthday burger.)
At ChickfilA they give “nicer” birthday freebies the higher up on the rewards tier you are: Chick-fil-A ONE members get their choice of 1 FREE cookie OR 1 FREE brownie. SILVER members get to choose 1 FREE cookie OR 1 FREE brownie OR 1 FREE milkshake OR 1 FREE lemonade OR 1 FREE coffee OR 1 FREE Icedream cone/cup. RED members get to choose 1 FREE sandwich OR 12 FREE nuggets. SIGNATURE members get their choice of 1 FREE entree. That’s a lot of options for the Chick-fil-a birthday freebie!
Firehouse Subs gives you a FREE medium sub sandwich on your birthday. If you’ve had their subs, then you know that a medium-sized sub by itself is super-filling! To take advantage of the Firehouse Subs birthday freebie, sign up for Firehouse Rewards.
When you sign up for The Chef’s Table at Benihana, you get a FREE $30 gift certificate to use toward your birthday dinner. How sweet is that?! Not 5 dollars off… Not 10 dollars off… Not even 20 dollars off — but $30 off your meal at Benihana! It can be used any time during your birthday month.
Some restaurants offer a FREE dessert to top off your meal. But Applebee’s gives you the biggest FREE dessert on your birthday! I can tell you from personal experience that their desserts are enough for a meal — and they’re downright delicious! Their food is great, too. So just remember to leave room after your meal for one of their scrumptious desserts.
Coming in a close second with a generous-sized dessert on your birthday is The Cheesecake Factory with their oversized slice of FREE cheesecake. Just sign up for their Cheesecake Rewards program. You get to pick whatever flavor you like best (from their many-pages-thick cheesecake menu). Their slices are so big, I bet you’ll be taking some of it home with you!
I also have to give props to Olive Garden. Not only for the size of their desserts, but also the flavor! Once you sign up for the Olive Garden eClub, your FREE dessert will be good for 1 week after your birthday. Combine your FREE birthday dessert with Olive Garden’s endless salad (or soup) and breadsticks deal, and you’ve got an amazing budget-friendly birthday meal right there! I definitely look forward to getting my Olive Garden birthday freebie each year. (I pretty much think everything they do at Olive Garden is classy — from the servers to the hosts to the food. I always find myself talking about “how nice… and professional everyone was there.”)
As a member of Chili’s Rewards, not only do you get a FREE dessert on your birthday… but you also get FREE chips & salsa OR a FREE beverage on the same day! Here’s the deal: As a rewards member, you always get FREE chips & salsa OR 1 FREE non-alcoholic beverage of your choice. Yep, you can take advantage of this Chili’s freebie on every single visit — as long as you spend at least $5 during your visit and have visited within the previous 45 days. (They really do reward you for loyalty at Chili’s, don’t they?)
Have a sweet tooth so much that you enjoy ordering Edible Arrangements for yourself or for others as gifts? If so, then you’re gonna love the fact that you will receive a FREE 6-count chocolate dipped fruit box ($12.99 value) on your birthday each year, when you sign up for their Edible Rewards program. You will receive your FREE reward coupon on the first day of your birthday month, and you have all month long to use it (as long as you’ve made a purchase of at least $29 within the calendar year prior your birthday month). So if you’re loyal to them, they’re loyal to you!
Smoothie King’s drinks are part dessert and part healthy shake. (Mmm, mmm… I love me some Angel Food smoothies!) As a member of their Healthy Rewards club, you get a FREE smoothie of your choice on your birthday.
If you like Chipotle as much as I do, then you probably look forward to the Chipotle birthday freebie each year, too. As a member of Chipotle Rewards, you receive FREE chips and guacamole on your birthday! Plus, you get free guac just for signing up — so that’s a win-win, as well.
At Bonefish Grill you get your choice of a FREE Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer (which is what I get everytime I go there anyway, so this one’s a huge win for me!) OR a FREE dessert. You just have to sign up as a Bonefish Grill Insider. The offer is good for 30 days after your birthday.
The Buffalo Wild Wings birthday freebie is 6 FREE wings. For some of us… that’s a meal! Sign up for their Blazin’ Rewards program and they’ll send you a coupon for a half-dozen wings in your favorite B-dubs sauce on your birthday. It’s good for the entire month of your birthday.
Not to one-up BW3’s… But Hooters gives you 10 FREE wings on your birthday! Yep, in the sauce of your choosing. Just sign up for their Hootclub Rewards.
At Chevy’s Tex Mex OR Acapulco Restaurant & Cantina OR El Torito Mexican Restaurant, you get a FREE entree (up to $12.99) on your birthday when you sign up for their Xperience Rewards program. Your birthday freebie arrives via email on the first day of your birthday month.
The best non-food things you can get for FREE on your birthday…
Does your birthday take place during a winter month? Well then, you might enjoy skiing for FREE on your birthday!
- Birthday Lift Ticket
Places like Diamond Peak in Lake Tahoe, NV and Lookout Pass in Mullan, ID and Mountain High in Wrightwood, CA all give you a FREE lift ticket on your birthday. So does Big Bear Lake in California — but they take it a step further and include a freebie for those with summer birthdays too! When the snow ski lifts aren’t operating, your birthday freebie includes a choice of: 1 FREE Bike Park lift ticket OR 1 FREE Scenic Sky chair lift ticket OR 1 FREE Round of Golf OR 1 FREE Climbing Wall ticket. Now, tell me there’s not a whole lotta fun waiting to be had with all of those options?!
- San Diego Harbor Cruise
If you happen to be near San Diego, you can enjoy a FREE harbor cruise on your birthday! (More information about the free cruise here.)
Want free beauty products? Then the Ulta birthday freebies are right up your alley! When you sign up for ULTA Beauty Rewards, you get to choose 1 FREE beauty product from a variety of different well-known brands. Plus, you earn 2x the points when you shop at Ulta during your birthday month. And… Diamond and Platinum members get an extra $10 off coupon to use during their birthday month. Once again… that’s a whole ‘lotta options! (NOTE: To get the birthday freebie, you must have made at least one purchase within the last 12 months.)
Another popular beauty store also gives you a darn nice freebie on your birthday… At Bath and Body Works, you get a FREE body care item of your choice (up to $8.95 value). One thing I like about this one is the fact that you can sign up for the rewards program ON the day of your birthday and still receive the reward. Your birthday reward becomes available on your birthday and is good for 30 days.
Do you shop at Target? I do… a lot! If you already use their app to take advantage of Target Circle Rewards, then you’ll get an email on your birthday for FREE 5% off your next purchase. It’s good for the next 30 days. And if you shop there as much as I do, then you realize that any discount at Target is just like FREE money!
Shop at Kohl’s? (Me too.) As a member of Kohl’s Rewards, as long as you make a Kohl’s purchase prior to your birthday month, you will receive an extra birthday bonus of FREE 5% off your next purchase. It automatically shows up in your Kohls app.
Lots of other family-friendly places provide FREE admission on your birthday, as well…
I used to work at a zoo, so I know that many zoos typically give FREE admission on your birthday. If you ask at your local zoo, odds are they probably offer FREE zoo admission on your birthday, too. Or at least something for FREE… For example in Atlanta, you can get a Zoo Atlanta Library Pass from any public library and receive FREE admission for a family of 4 to Zoo Atlanta. One pass is available for checkout at each Atlanta-area public library branch. It can be checked out once per year, per household.
- Local Attractions
Many local attractions like miniature golf… go-karts… comedy clubs… arcades… safaris… museums… aquariums… family fun centers… and even some theme parks will give you FREE admission on your birthday. Just ask! (By the way, here’s a list of all the freebies available at Disney parks.) To find free admission tickets locally, your best bet is to search Google for “free admission near me” and all of the attractions with birthday specials located closest to you will appear in the search results. One of my all-time favorite birthday freebies for kids is the Crayola Experience at the Mall of America.
I know that bowling alleys typically provide a FREE game of bowling for the person who is celebrating a birthday. Most will if you just ask them.
- Major League Baseball
If there is a Major League Baseball stadium near you, some MLB teams give you a FREE baseball game ticket on your birthday! Others offer BOGO tickets and other specials for the birthday person. A few of the teams that I know are participating include: Milwaukee Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and the Kansas City Royals.
- National Park
If your birthday happens to fall on any of these 6 dates throughout the year, then FREE park admission is the National Park Service’s gift to you! (The free admission dates change each year around those same holidays.) And… if you live near a state park in Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Tennessee then you could celebrate your birthday there for FREE, as well. (Because admission is always FREE in those 8 states.)
If you haven’t celebrated a birthday meal at Medieval Times yet, then you’re missing out. Simply join the Birthday Fellowship and sign up in advance to celebrate your birthday for FREE at a Medieval Times castle. For real… They will send you a FREE ticket ($53 value) that includes your entire dinner feast and a seat at the tournament (with the purchase of a second ticket).
The Bottom Line With Birthday Freebies
The most generous freebies typically come from the establishments that have loyalty programs. (Usually, you need to be signed up well in advance. Oh, and make sure to check- the box next to “I agree to receive marketing” – that’s required for most birthday freebies.)
But lots of places quietly observe the birthday discount program — which means they only give away FREE things when they are specifically requested.
Heck, there’s no point in being bashful… If there’s an activity that sounds interesting, just ask if they offer anything in the form of a freebie or discount for the person who is celebrating a birthday. Chances are pretty good that they’ll give you something for FREE on your birthday!
In the end, the list of free things you can get on your birthday is pretty much endless.
So, make sure to take advantage of all your birthday freebies, and have fun treating yourself on your special day!
How To Get A Whole Month Of Free Birthday Stuff!
A friend of mine is famous for two things concerning her birthday:
- First, she is forever 29 (she upped it to 39 at age 60).
- Second, she celebrates her birthday for a full month every year (which isn’t a bad idea, if you ask me).
Why not make the most of your annual right of passage and line up weeks of freebies, instead of just one day’s worth?
To do this, you just need to remember to sign up for all these great offers way in advance of your birthday. That way, you’ll receive ALL of your free birthday with enough time to plan your month-long celebration of birthday freebies!
In fact, you could probably spend the whole month of your birthday visiting one eatery after another — for FREE.
The nice thing is many of the companies I’ve listed above extend their “birthday offer” to the entire month of your birthday, rather than just the day of your birthday. That will make it easier for you to plan your birthday celebration itinerary — using a different freebie on every single day of your birthday month.
For all of the emails you’re about to receive… I love Jordan’s advice (from Fun, Cheap, Or FREE) about creating a folder in your email account to automatically filter all of the birthday freebies you receive into one email folder. That way, all of the birthday coupons and specials you’ve signed up for will be automatically filtered into a handy little folder, ready and waiting for when you need them! My Own Tip: Also, use a separate email address — just for all the things you sign up for (like birthday freebies).
Even More Fun Freebies On Your Birthday
In addition to the nearly 40 birthday freebies I’ve listed above, here are some more resources to help you fill up your calendar with fun freebies on your birthday:
- 101 Restaurants Where You Can Eat For Free On Your Birthday …from Cheapism
- Huge List Of Birthday Freebies …from Fun Cheap Or Free
- 150+ Places That Give Out FREE Things On Your Birthday …from Retail Me Not
- List Of Almost 200 Birthday Freebies …from The Freebie Guy
- 154 Of The Best Birthday Freebies …from Deal News
- A List Of Over 300 Free Things You Can Get On Your Birthday …from Hey It’s Free
If there is ONE thing I like… it's C H A N G E! The four seasons and major holidays are my favorite times of the year to recharge — and redecorate. I mostly like to share frugal DIY ideas for seasonal home decorating and party planning (for both, indoors and outside). Because who doesn't enjoy entertaining at home?! But even if you don't host many parties, I think you'll appreciate my DIY hacks and clever ways to decorate your house for the major holidays including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Because those are the times when people tend to have the most visitors and overnight houseguests.
