Carl’s Jr. took aim at Jack in the Box with a loyalty reward that directly incentivizes guests to pass up the rival burger chain to receive a free limited-time sandwich.
Carl’s Jr. launched the “Pass on Jack” promotion June 23, offering consumers a complimentary Sourdough Star if they upload GPS screenshots or “any other proof” that they passed a Jack in the Box on the way to one of their 975 U.S. locations.
“When hunger strikes on a road trip, it’s tempting to pull over at the first burger joint you see,” Paz Romero, Carl’s Jr.’s vice president of brand marketing, said in a press release. “This summer, we know our loyal fans and new customers are bound to drive by a Carl’s Jr., so we want to reward them for stopping at the best burger option on the road.”
The “Pass on Jack” promotion runs through June 30, and the free reward is limited to the first 500 eligible entries from active My Rewards members, available in the Carl’s Jr. app, valid until July 7.
Carl’s Jr. has long held a public rivalry with Jack in the Box, a chain with more than 2,100 locations across the U.S. Both chains were founded in California in the 1950s, with Carl’s Jr.’s roots tracing back to Anaheim in 1956, while the first Jack in the Box started serving San Diego in 1951.
The rivalry took to the courtroom in 2007, according to reporting from Reuters, when CKE Restaurants Inc., parent of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast-food chains, sued Jack In The Box Inc. over new television commercials it claimed misled customers into confusing CKE’s Angus hamburgers with meat from a cow’s anus.
Ultimately, according to 2007 reporting from the Daily Journal, a federal judge denied the injunction to pull the ads.
Food On Demand reached out to CKE Restaurants Inc. and Jack in the Box; neither responded to requests for comment.
“Shots fired” loyalty promotions
The “Pass on Jack” loyalty incentive is not the first QSR promotional effort to feature one brand specifically targeting another with customer rewards.
In 2018, Burger King promoted the Whopper Detour, temporarily offering guests the brand’s signature sandwich for one cent when customers ordered the menu item via BK’s app near a McDonald’s restaurant.
Similarly, in 2021, Del Taco — a chain acquired by Jack in the Box in 2022 and sold in late 2025 — launched a promotion aimed at satisfying Taco Bell customers upset by the discontinuation of the brand’s “Mexican Pizza” menu offering. Del Taco launched a variety of Crunchtada Tostadas, a menu item with striking similarities to the late Taco Bell fan favorite.
According to reporting from Restaurant Business, Del Taco offered consumers an exclusive buy-one-get-one promo code by calling 1-877-3-Ghosted. Reportedly, the company ran a 15-second social media ad stating: “Are you seeking restitution for the loss of your Mexican Pizza? … Del will fight for you.”
While Jack in the Box has yet to address the “Pass on Jack” promotion publicly, history suggests the initiative is unlikely to be the last targeted loyalty incentive in the QSR industry.
