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A proposed class action filed October 2, 2026, alleges that McDonald’s used an AI-assisted pricing tool and nonpublic restaurant data to coordinate prices across locations. McDonald’s disputes that account: it says its tool offers recommendations, franchisees set their own menu prices, and it does not use dynamic pricing. The allegations have not been decided by a court.
What does the lawsuit allege?
Michael Thomas, an Illinois customer, sued McDonald’s USA, LLC and McDonald’s Corporation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The complaint alleges that a shared AI or machine-learning tool draws on nonpublic sales and pricing data from franchise and company-run restaurants, then recommends prices in a way that coordinates locations that might otherwise compete. It also alleges that McDonald’s pressured franchisees to follow those recommendations.
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Those are the plaintiff’s allegations, not established facts or a court finding. Reuters reported that Lark Turner, the plaintiff’s lawyer, characterized the alleged conduct as “leveraging its troves of data and its franchised system to nickel-and-dime consumers down to the last French fry.” That is Turner’s description of the claim, not a judicial conclusion. Reuters reporting republished by Investing.com and Associated Press reporting describe the case as a proposed class action.
What does McDonald’s say about its pricing tool?
In a statement dated October 1, 2026—one day before the complaint was filed—McDonald’s said it makes optional tools and recommendations available to U.S. franchisees, but franchisees independently decide menu prices. The company says its tool does not set or change prices, determine what an individual customer pays, use a customer’s willingness to pay, or change prices in real time or at different hours.
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McDonald’s stated: “AI does not set the price of a Big Mac or any other menu item. It does not change prices. And it does not determine what an individual customer pays.” The company also said, “McDonald’s does not use dynamic pricing.” The company’s statement is its account of the tool, not a resolution of the complaint’s allegations. The October 1 statement from McDonald’s sets out that position; the AP separately reported that the company called the lawsuit inaccurate and said it would vigorously defend itself.
How do the two accounts differ?
The dispute is not simply whether a customer sees a different price based on personal data. The complaint alleges that shared data and recommendations could coordinate prices among restaurants; McDonald’s describes a restaurant-level recommendation tool and denies that it changes prices dynamically or individually. The sources reviewed do not establish how the tool actually operates in practice.
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| Question | Complaint’s allegation | McDonald’s stated position |
|---|---|---|
| What data is involved? | Nonpublic sales and pricing data from franchise and company-run restaurants is allegedly used to inform recommendations. | The company describes optional tools and recommendations responsive to local market conditions; it denies that AI sets prices. |
| What do recommendations do? | The complaint alleges recommendations coordinate prices and that franchisees faced pressure to follow them. | McDonald’s says recommendations are optional and franchisees independently set menu prices. |
| Does the tool change an individual customer’s price in real time? | The complaint’s described theory concerns coordination among restaurants, not a finding that a customer’s personal profile changes the price shown to them. | McDonald’s says the tool neither sets an individual customer’s price nor changes prices in real time or at different hours. |
| Has a court decided the disputed facts? | No merits finding is documented in the docket listing available for this account. | McDonald’s disputes the allegations and says it will defend itself. |
What is known about McDonald’s franchise system?
The AP reported that McDonald’s said 95% of its 14,000 U.S. stores are owned and operated by franchisees. The figure is company-attributed, rather than an independently established count in that report. McDonald’s also said its AI-enhanced pricing tool had been in use for more than a decade, as reported by the AP.
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Where does the case stand?
The docket identifies the case as Thomas v. McDonalds USA, LLC et al., number 1:2026cv12149, an antitrust action under 15 U.S.C. § 1. The listing records the complaint and civil cover sheet on October 2, 2026, and an appearance by plaintiff’s counsel on October 3. It does not show a class-certification ruling or a decision on the merits. A proposed class action is not the same as a certified class.
The Justia docket listing says it was last retrieved October 3, 2026, and notes that later entries may be available through PACER. It therefore does not establish the case’s complete status after that date. The available accounts show a newly filed complaint and McDonald’s denial, not a court finding that the company fixed prices or that the alleged conduct violated antitrust law.
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