When you’re hungry for Chinese food and are looking for a convenient, easy-going experience you and your family will love, look no further than Panda Express! From their Famous Orange Chicken to their Chow Mein, Egg Rolls, and more, you’re guaranteed to find something on the menu you’ll love.
And with these savings hacks, it’ll be so easy to save extra money while doing it! Read on to find the best savings hacks for eating at Panda Express.
1. Make sure to give their social media accounts a follow
Follow Panda Express on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to be among the first to know about promotions and deals. One recent deal was the Panda Red Envelope Promotion for the Lunar New Year. Panda gave everyone the chance to make and send a virtual red envelope. They also gave them a FREE small order of egg rolls!
Another post advertised their awesome $29 Family Meal Deal (more on that in a minute), and another post announced a contest to score FREE Honey Sesame Chicken Breast for a year! You never know what Panda will do next, so make sure to take advantage of deals when you find them!
2. Sign up for their email list!
When you sign up for their email list, you’re also signing up for the opportunity to be among the first to hear about exclusive offers, new items, or events.
You can also download the Panda Express app on Google Play or Apple and sign up there.
This is a great way to take advantage of promotional offers straight from the source!
Make sure the check box at the bottom of the sign-up form is selected – this will make sure the newest offerings will head straight for your inbox!
3. Happy Birthday to you! Grab a free meal from Panda Express on your Big Day!
Birthdays are a big deal and Panda wants to help you celebrate yours! When you sign up for the email list we just mentioned, you’ll be asked for your birthday. When that day comes around, Panda will celebrate you with a free meal!
4. Grab a discounted gift card
Who doesn’t love gift cards? We sure do, and we love them even more when they’re discounted! There are several online sites where you can purchase gift cards for less than face value. For example, check out Gift Card Wiki – they recently had $15 gift cards for $14.85 – that’s 1% off. There are several other similar sites – so take advantage of Google and look at what’s out there.
These types of sites aren’t the only game in town – head online or in-store at your nearest Sam’s Club – they currently have a $25 gift card available for $23.98 – that’s a discount of a little over 4%!
Check out these sites and warehouse clubs before you head off for your next order of Orange Chicken!
5. ….Or grab gift cards around the holidays and score FREE food!
Last November and December (2020), Panda offered an awesome deal: a FREE Bowl with the purchase of at least $30 in gift cards! This is a fast and easy way to take care of some holiday shopping AND score free food while you’re at it!
Keep an eye out for similar promotions in the future around the holidays – and if you want to get them as a gift for YOURSELF, it’s not like anyone would ever know….
6. Get the Family Meal for a crowd
Did you know that Panda offers Family Meals? These are new and enough to feed a small crowd: choose two sides and three entrees from a good-sized selection of options. Prices may vary depending on location, and the premium entrees may have an additional charge, but this is still a lot of food for a great price!
For example, one Midwest location offers the non-premium Family Meal Deal for $29 – let’s use their famous Orange Chicken for the entrees and Chow Mein for the sides.
If you ordered those items individually, it would cost you a whopping $39 – $10 more! It’s easy to see how these family meals can save you a lot while still getting some of your favorite food.
A note of caution, however: if you select the premium entrees, such as the Wok Seared Steak and Shrimp, there is an extra charge ($3.75 for the location we reviewed). So make sure you look when you place your order.
How to order: from the Panda Express site, you have to select a location before ordering.
7. Get the Family Meal… just for you!
Just because you’re ordering for just you, or you and a friend, doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of the Family Meal Deal’s amazing prices. It can take you across several meals, for one low cost. Enjoy it for dinner one night, and you have lunch/dinner for a few days afterward.
BONUS TIP: This is true for the combo meals, too. The Plate is one side and two entrees, and the Bigger Plate adds another entree to that. Family and Combo meals are much cheaper than ordering each one separately.
8. Order just an entree and supplement with what you already have at home
Steamed white rice or broccoli is pretty easy to make at home. That amazing Orange Chicken? That’s a little more of a challenge. If you’re really wanting some of your favorite Panda Express food, but want to save some money, order your favorite entree and supplement with what you already have at home. Your dollar will stretch a lot farther if you supplement your main entree with what you already have on hand. I mean, steamed white rice is pretty much the same everywhere, right?
BONUS TIP: This is especially true when it comes to purchasing sodas – a large at the location we reviewed was $2.30! Drink one of the Cokes you have in the fridge at home instead!
9. Order a Kid’s Meal!
This tip was courtesy of TikTok user @lady_kairyly! Not interested in leftovers (why not though?) or just not that hungry? Try a kid’s meal! You’ll get smaller portions of one side and an entree, PLUS a drink and a cookie! It’s the perfect size if you’re looking for a smaller, lighter meal and want to save a little extra cash.
The location we reviewed charged $5.60 before tax for non-premium items (the total noted in @lady_kairyly’s video was different).
The premium entree upgrades at this location were only .75, so you may want to treat yourself for that price!
10. Watch for FREE delivery promotions
In the summer of 2020, Panda launched its own delivery service for their food. They advertised free delivery for a small period after the announcement. However, building a delivery order online recently showed a small delivery fee.
BUT.
A look through their social media posts (remember our tip from above?) reminded us that in October of 2020, December of 2020, and in early February of 2021, Panda Express offered FREE delivery. These were roughly around holidays/special times of the year (Think Halloween, Christmas, Super Bowl). So keep an eye out and you may find another free delivery offer soon!
11. Get a military discount
Panda Express wants to appreciate those who serve our country, so if you’re currently serving, or are a proud Veteran, Panda is pleased to give you 10% off your order. Please make sure you have your military ID available to enjoy 10% off their delicious food!
12. Take a survey on your experience to get free or discounted food
The next time you dine at Panda Express, take a look at the bottom of your receipt – you should see a 22-digit code for a survey, along with an offer if you complete it. Head over to the survey site, enter the code and take a short survey about your experience.
At the completion of the survey, Panda will give you a validation code. You can use this code to redeem the offer on your receipt! This is a great way to give one of your favorite restaurant’s valuable feedback, AND get something free/discounted at the same time.
13. Add a kick of Panda Express flavor to your own meals at home
If you’re looking for the flavor of Panda but want to create your own meal at home, you can take advantage of several Panda Express sauces available on grocery shelves across the country. A quick look on Walmart.com will show you their amazing Orange Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce, and more!
This is a great way to bring Panda’s great flavors to your very own kitchen!
14. Check out our Koopy page for awesome deals!
You know we love deals. We also love Panda Express, so when you put those two together, magic happens! Check out our page on Panda Express, where we’ve collected some great deals for you to take advantage of!
Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve read through these savings hacks, you can take your Panda Express meal game to the next level by saving some money while eating some of your favorites! These tips will make it easier to stretch your dollar and feed your family (or just you)!
Panda Express is a big favorite for many people, and with these tips, you can enjoy this restaurant for less! Happy Eating!
