McDonald’s Japan is taking action against resellers, following the summer season’s Pokémon-themed Happy Meals causing disorder and unnecessary food waste due to high demand.
In August, there was an enormous influx of requests for the Pokemon Happy Meals, which are commonly referred to as Happy Sets in the local area. Each Happy Set contained a promotional card pack that included a guaranteed Pikachu and an additional random card chosen from a group of five options.
The promotion resulted in long queues at restaurants and scattered takeout containers strewn across the streets. It appears that some patrons purchased meals exclusively for the cards, completely disregarding the food.
McDonald’s Japan adds new rules to prevent scalping
Starting from September 12, McDonald’s is implementing certain restrictions for their Happy Meal promotion. Each group will be allowed to purchase only up to three meals, and mobile orders may also be subject to limitations, much like the approach taken during the latter part of their recent Pokemon collaboration.
According to a formal announcement, McDonald’s has a firm policy against leaving or throwing away food without proper attention, and they do not permit the purchase or re-selling of Happy Meal sets, specifically for reselling, or any other transactions intended for commercial gain.
In a recent apology, McDonald’s Japan acknowledged that demand for their special Pokemon Happy Meals exceeded expectations, causing the limited edition cards to sell out within a day. This situation led some consumers to purchase the meals only for reselling the cards on eBay, while others ended up discarding their uneaten food.
— TopMob (@TopMob) August 9, 2025
Under the latest updates, Happy Meal deliveries and mobile orders will temporarily not be available. Instead, customers can only make purchases either inside the store or through drive-thru services on the launch day.
The latest addition to the toy lineup includes four new Sanrio-themed Happy Meal sets, namely ‘Plarail’, ‘My Melody and Kuromi’, ‘Play Time with Cinnamoroll’, and ‘Moon Universe Nanchara Kotetsukun’.
McDonald’s has announced that supply may be restricted, so they kindly ask customers not to inquire about the availability of items at every individual location. Instead, patience is appreciated as they work to maintain service.
Regardless of any limitations, scalpers are likely to focus on exploiting the brief opportunities for short sales. McDonald’s plans to review its policies following the initial day, indicating that stricter rules may be imposed should disorder recur.
If these policies turn out to be successful, it would certainly be intriguing to observe whether they are extended globally by the company, particularly for high-profile collaborations that often trigger consumer excitement and reselling activities.
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2025-09-13 00:18