April is one of the most generous months of the year for freebies. Tax Day on April 15 brings a wave of food giveaways from chains that have made this a genuine annual tradition, and Earth Day on April 22 adds another round.
Stacked on top of those are several month-long promotions that run straight through to the end of April. If you're willing to download a few apps and show up at the right time, you can eat well for almost nothing across multiple weeks this month.
Free footlong sub from Subway
Through April 28, Sub Club members get a free footlong with the purchase of any footlong using promo code FLBOGO on the Subway app or at Subway.com. New members can join Sub Club during the promotion and use the same code immediately. The offer is not available for in-store orders, third-party delivery, or catering purchases.
A full-price footlong at Subway typically runs $10 to $14 depending on the protein and location, which makes this a genuine half-price meal, not a token discount. The excluded sandwiches are Fresh Fit, 5 Meat Italian, and Big Hot Pastrami. Everything else qualifies. With more than 20,000 U.S. locations, there's almost certainly one within reach wherever you are.
Free slice of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory launched a new rewards app on April 1 and is giving away a free slice of cheesecake or layer cake to celebrate. Anyone who downloads the app and logs into a Cheesecake Rewards account by April 30 gets a free slice with any purchase, redeemable through May 7. A slice runs $11.50 to $12.95 at regular price, and a soft drink qualifies as the required purchase.
The app is available on both the App Store and Google Play, and new accounts can be created directly inside the app. Once you're in the rewards program, you also get a free birthday slice every year, which makes this worth keeping around beyond April. The one-time setup takes about two minutes.
Free wings from TGI Fridays (through April 6)
TGI Fridays is handing out a free six-pack of wings, boneless or traditional, to any customer who brings in their busted March Madness bracket at participating locations through April 6. Print it or show it on your phone. No purchase is required. The bracket just needs to show it's been eliminated.
This offer runs every day through April 6, not just on specific game days, so you have a short but real window to use it. Most brackets are long past their picks at this point, which means almost everyone qualifies. If there's a TGI Fridays near you, this is six free wings with no strings attached.
50-cent boneless wings from Applebee's (April 4-5)
Applebee's is bringing back its 50-cent boneless wings promotion for the final weekend of March Madness. Order online or through the Applebee's app on April 4 and 5 to get boneless wings at 50 cents each. The offer is not available for dine-in orders and must be placed online or in-app at participating locations.
At 50 cents per wing, ordering 20 costs $10, which covers a reasonable lunch on its own. This is the second run of this deal in March and April, so if you missed the earlier window, April 4 and 5 is your last shot. Check the app to confirm your nearest location is participating before placing the order.
BOGO free burgers from Smashburger (April 4-7)
Smashburger loyalty members get buy one, get one free on burgers and big dogs from April 4 through April 7, timed to the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Redeem the offer through the Smashburger app at participating locations. A single smash-style burger typically runs $8 to $11, so the BOGO is a meaningful deal on a real meal rather than a token item.
This is the third and final wave of Smashburger's March Madness promotion, following two earlier BOGO windows in March. If you didn't catch the previous ones, this is the last opportunity. The loyalty program is free to join and the offer loads into your account automatically once you're signed in.
Free entree to take home from Olive Garden
Throughout April, Olive Garden is running its Buy One, Take One promotion. Order a qualifying entree for $14.99 and get a second entree chilled and packaged to take home for free. The take-home options include fan staples like fettuccine alfredo, chicken parmigiana, and eggplant parmigiana. This is one of the chain's most popular recurring promotions and runs while supplies last.
The practical value here is that you're effectively getting two full meals for the price of one. The take-home portion is chilled, not frozen, and reheats well within a day or two. For families or anyone cooking for one who wants a ready dinner waiting in the fridge, this is one of the more useful food deals of the month.
Free cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory on your birthday
If your birthday falls in April, Cheesecake Rewards members get an additional free slice of cheesecake or layer cake with any purchase during their birthday month. The birthday reward is separate from the app launch freebie, meaning April birthdays could stack both offers if you haven't redeemed the launch reward yet.
The birthday slice has been a feature of The Cheesecake Factory's rewards program for years. If you sign up now in connection with the April app promotion, the birthday reward goes active for your next birthday month. Anyone whose birthday is in April and who hasn't yet signed up for Cheesecake Rewards can essentially get two free slices this month.
Free Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Tax Day
On April 15, Krispy Kreme gives you a second dozen original glazed doughnuts for just the price of sales tax in your state when you buy any dozen original or assorted doughnuts in-store. Depending on where you live, that means paying between 75 cents and about $2 for 12 extra doughnuts. The offer is in-store only, not available for delivery or online pickup orders.
Krispy Kreme has run this Tax Day deal consistently for years, and it remains one of the best single-day food promotions on the calendar. Show up, buy a dozen, and walk out with two for essentially the price of one. Bring cash or be ready to tap because participating locations typically move through lines quickly on April 15.
Free sandwich from Potbelly on Tax Day
Potbelly is running a buy one, get one free deal on sandwiches on April 15. Use promo code BOGO when ordering online or in the Potbelly app to get a free Original sandwich with the purchase of any Big or Original sandwich. The offer is available on Tax Day only.
Potbelly has around 400 locations, mostly in urban markets and office corridors. A regular-sized Potbelly sandwich runs in the $9 to $11 range, so two for one is a legitimate lunch saving. If you're near a location, this is one of the cleaner Tax Day deals: a real full-size sandwich, no minimum spend beyond the first sandwich itself.
Free cookie cake from Great American Cookies on Tax Day
On April 15, Great American Cookies offers buy one, get one free cookie cake slices in-store. Just mention the offer at the register. No app, no promo code, no rewards account. This is one of the few Tax Day deals with no digital requirement at all. Great American Cookies operates primarily in mall food courts and shopping centers, concentrated in the South and Southeast but with locations nationwide.
A cookie cake slice is not a health food, but a no-strings-attached freebie with zero friction is worth including. If you're at a mall on April 15 anyway, it takes about 30 seconds to redeem.
Free appetizer from Hooters on Tax Day
At participating Hooters locations on April 15, select appetizers are offered at $4.15 each, including mozzarella sticks, buffalo shrimp, and fried pickles, when you apply the Tax Day reward in the Hooters app at checkout. The price is a deliberate nod to the date. Download the app ahead of time to make sure the reward loads correctly before you arrive.
Hooters also runs this promotion consistently year to year, which makes it reliable. The $4.15 appetizer covers a real bar snack, not a token item. If you're already planning to eat somewhere on Tax Day, this is worth factoring in if there's a Hooters nearby.
Free pizza from Casey's on Tax Day
Alan Hardman via Unsplash
Casey's rewards members who buy any large pizza on April 15 get a free large one-topping pizza credited to their account as a “pizza refund,” redeemable any time through May 6. You're not locked into using the free pizza immediately, which gives you nearly three weeks to redeem it on a day that's convenient for you.
Casey's is primarily a Midwest chain with around 2,500 locations across 17 states. If you're in its footprint and a rewards member, this is essentially a BOGO on a full-size pizza, just structured as a future reward. Casey's makes pizza fresh in-store, which makes the product meaningfully better than what you'd expect from a gas station chain.
Free sandwich from Buffalo Wild Wings all month
Buffalo Wild Wings is running a Month of Free Deals throughout April for rewards members. Check the app regularly for rotating offers, including a free sandwich with any $15 minimum order. The deals change every few days rather than running all month as a single offer, so checking the app frequently is the only way to catch them all before they rotate out.
If you're already a Buffalo Wild Wings rewards member, this is worth making a habit to check every few days throughout April. The free sandwich alone offsets a meaningful chunk of a typical order. New members can sign up in the app in a couple of minutes and qualify immediately for whatever offer is currently active.
Free reusable bag from Natural Grocers on Earth Day
On April 22, Natural Grocers N-power members get a free Ladybug Love reusable bag with any purchase. The chain also runs in-store giveaways during Earth Day weekend, including one $500 gift card winner per store region and a $100 gift card for one winner per individual store. The gift card giveaways are random drawings at checkout, but the reusable bag is guaranteed with purchase for any active N-power member.
Natural Grocers extends its Earth Day promotion through April 24, with discounts on organic and natural products across those three days. The N-power program is free to join. If you're planning a Natural Grocers run around Earth Day anyway, make sure your account is active before April 22.
Free juice from Clean Juice on Earth Day
On April 22, Clean Juice loyalty members get a free 12-ounce fresh-pressed juice with any in-app purchase as a Wallet Drop into their account. A 12-ounce fresh-pressed juice at Clean Juice typically runs $7 to $10, so the value is real. You need to be signed into the loyalty account and have the app to claim it. Clean Juice has around 200 locations, mostly in the South, Southeast, and Mid-Atlantic.
This type of Earth Day juice giveaway is consistent with what Clean Juice has offered in prior years, though confirmed 2026 details should be verified closer to April 22 via the Clean Juice app. Download the app and create your account before Earth Day to make sure the offer loads correctly.
Free tree from Subaru and the Arbor Day Foundation
The Arbor Day Foundation is partnering with Subaru to give away 100,000 trees in recognition of Earth Day 2026. Reserve a free, regionally appropriate tree at participating Subaru retailers while supplies last. You do not need to buy or lease a vehicle. Trees are selected to suit your local climate and planting conditions.
The Arbor Day Foundation has run this giveaway with Subaru in prior years under the same format. Supplies are limited at each participating dealership, so checking availability early in April or before Earth Day weekend is worth doing. Visit the Arbor Day Foundation website to find participating locations near you.
Free BOGO sundae from Carvel on Wednesdays
Every Wednesday in April, Carvel Rewards members get a buy one, get one free sundae. This is an ongoing recurring promotion, not a one-time event, which means there are four Wednesday opportunities in April to use it. The offer is redeemable in-store at participating Carvel locations and requires an active Carvel Rewards account.
Carvel is primarily a Northeast and Mid-Atlantic chain, though it has locations across the country. If there's one near you, the weekly BOGO on sundaes is one of the more consistently available freebies of the month. Sign up for Carvel Rewards before the next Wednesday to make sure the offer is in your account.
Free kids' meal at Mod Pizza on Sundays
Every Sunday through December 27, kids 12 and under eat free at Mod Pizza when you purchase a Mod-size pizza or salad and use promo code KEF2026 at checkout. The offer is valid online, in-app, and in-restaurant. There are four Sundays in April, so if you have kids and a Mod Pizza nearby, this is a recurring saving that stacks up across the month.
Mod Pizza's model is fully customizable, so your child can build their own pizza with whatever toppings they want at no extra cost. The adult purchase that triggers the free kids' meal starts around $12 to $14 for a Mod-size. At that price, a family lunch or dinner for two costs roughly what one adult pizza costs anywhere else.
Free fries from Wendy's on Fridays
Every Friday in April, Wendy's Rewards members get free any-size fries with any $5 or more purchase in the app. The offer resets weekly, meaning you can use it on each Friday this month, not just once. It's available at participating locations and requires the Wendy's app to redeem.
Wendy's calls this its “Frydays” promotion, and it runs consistently throughout the year. Four Fridays in April means four rounds of free fries if you're a Wendy's regular. The $5 minimum is easy to hit on almost any combination of items from the regular menu.
Free monthly Hallmark card
Crown Rewards members at Hallmark get one free greeting card per month at participating Hallmark Gold Crown stores. The offer has run consistently throughout 2026. There is no minimum purchase required. Show your Crown Rewards membership at the register and select any eligible card.
A standard greeting card runs $5 to $9 at Hallmark, so the monthly free card is a real saving for anyone who buys cards regularly. Crown Rewards is free to join. If you've been putting off signing up, doing it in April means you capture this month's free card and start building toward the program's broader discounts and birthday rewards.
Free Qdoba queso on the next full moon
Qdoba is running a promotion throughout 2026 tied to full moons. Rewards members get a free medium queso and chips with any entree purchase on every full moon date when ordering through the Qdoba app or website. The next full moon after April is May 1, but the April 1 full moon offer may still be in some members' app wallets depending on when it was loaded. Check your app to see if a reward is sitting in your account.
If you missed the April 1 full moon queso, the May 1 date is the next opportunity. Qdoba's full moon queso is one of the more creative ongoing promotions a chain has run in recent years. The rewards program is free to join, and members can look forward to a new queso date roughly every month for the rest of the year.
Free Dairy Queen cone (Wednesdays)
Every Wednesday, Dairy Queen Rewards members can score a free small vanilla soft-serve cone with any in-app purchase. The offer is a standard recurring Dairy Queen Rewards benefit that runs throughout the warm-weather season. Download the app, make any qualifying purchase, and the free cone applies at participating locations.
A small soft-serve cone at Dairy Queen runs around $2 to $3 at most locations, so this is a modest but real value stacked onto any visit you were already planning. There are four Wednesdays in April. If you're a regular DQ customer or have kids who are, the weekly free cone adds up to a meaningful saving over the course of the month.
Most of these deals require an app download or a free rewards account. Getting set up before you need the deal saves time at the register and reduces the chance of missing an offer that has a tight expiration window.
