Editor’s Note: This article was revised June 24 to include statements from CKE Restaurants.
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.
“Jack in the Box has been a long-standing competitor, and we wanted to create a lighthearted challenge that celebrates Carl’s Jr.’s commitment to quality and real flavor and proves that when given the option, customers are passing on Jack and going straight (to) us,” a spokesperson from CKE Restaurants company, parent of the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, said in a statement to Food On Demand.
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.
“For over 80 years, we’ve built our brand on bold, unexpected moves,” stated the CKE spokesperson. “We like to have fun and aren’t afraid to playfully engage with our competitors. That’s just part of our DNA. If any of our competitors do something similar, we happily accept the challenge. There’s no real beef, but if there was, we’d know ours is the best.”
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 Jack in the Box; the brand did not respond to the request for comments.
“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.
