Chipotle Is Launching a New Rewards Program & Giving Out Free Money on Venmo

From random free guac giveaways to BOGO burritos for damage control, Chipotle has long harnessed the power of free food to lure people into its restaurants. But on Tuesday, the burrito chain is officially taking its free food game to the next level with the nationwide launch of a permanent rewards program, Chipotle Rewards. Oh, and it’s giving away straight-up free money right now to celebrate.

First, Chipotle Rewards. Starting Tuesday, you can sign up to join the program via the company’s website or mobile app and instantly -- dare we say finally -- start earning rewards and other perks for your wallet-crippling Chipotle addiction. In fact, you’ll get a free order of chips and guac as a reward for your first meal purchase as a member. Then you’ll earn 10 points for every dollar you spend at Chipotle, which you can eventually cash in for free burritos, tacos, and more. In other words, more free food.

Chipotle Rewards points can be used to score a free entree, but you’ll have to be in it for the long haul to win it. Specifically, you’ll have to rack up 1,250 points (spend $125) to get a free burrito, burrito bowl, order of tacos, or salad. If you’re a regular, you’ll have no problem putting points on the board, but just to be sure, Chipotle’s going to give everyone a hand here and there with “extra points days” and surprise birthday rewards, according to a spokesperson.

“Similar to how we build restaurants where people live and work, we want to have a presence in all of the places our customers spend time digitally,” said Curt Garner, chief digital and information officer at Chipotle, in a statement. “Chipotle Rewards is another access point for consumers; a way for guests to engage with our promise of real ingredients prepared fresh daily and a way for us to say thank you for joining our mission of cultivating a better world.”

Now, about that free money we mentioned. As you can imagine, Chipotle is mentioned in Venmo transactions a lot (how else do people pay back their coworkers for burritos?). So to highlight this and celebrate the launch of Chipotle Rewards, the chain is literally giving away free cash -- up to $250,000 -- on Venmo through March 15. As many as 25,000 people will win a prize ranging from $1 to $500 each day. All you have to do is head to ChipotleRewardMe.com and enter the phone number associated with your Venmo account.

“Chipotle is one of the first brands to utilize Venmo’s technology to engage with customers through the pay-out feature on the Venmo app,” Chris Brandt, Chipotle’s chief marketing officer. “Our customers have been asking for a loyalty program for a long time and we’re excited to partner with Venmo to reach their highly engaged network of digital-first customers to launch Chipotle Rewards, where the more you Chipotle, the more you can get free Chipotle!”

Sure, that sounds like a bunch of corporate marketing mumbo jumbo, but he’s got a valid point. The only thing better than Chipotle, is free Chipotle.