McDonald’s has issued the following guidance to its restaurant managers under that policy:

Any customer must purchase one or more Happy Meals before becoming entitled to purchase an additional toy in the same transaction and only 1 additional toy is allowed per transaction regardless of the number of Happy Meals bought.

A Happy Meal-order should be declined if (in the sole opinion of the sales-staff) it does not appear to be intended for consumption by the purchaser or others within that purchaser’s group, particularly if the number of Happy Meals ordered is more than 3 or if the customer appears to have placed a Happy Meal order earlier that day.

The purpose of this policy is to prevent inconsistent or premature depletion of the stocks of toy and/or book items comprising the range produced for each themed Happy Meal ® during the period at which it is being featured at McDonald’s restaurants in the Ireland. 

What the policy means for customers, is that each McDonald’s restaurant may in the manager’s discretion impose purchase restrictions on the number of toy and/or book items which may be ordered per customer in a single transaction and/or over a number of transactions over a given period of time and whether those items are purchased as part of a Happy Meal®or separately.

From time to time McDonald’s may issue guidance to restaurant managers across the Ireland to apply a Fair Ordering Policy limit or restriction in relation to a specific themed Happy Meal®. That guidance will be stated on the Happy Meal page.

Each restaurant-manager reserves the right (to the extent still lawful) to apply, modify or disregard any central guidance from McDonald’s, so customers are advised to check with the restaurant for details of policy-restrictions or limits prior to placing an order, if concerned. Also, each restaurant manager will always reserve the right to relax any restriction under the policy for that restaurant in favour of one customer, without implying any similar right for any other customers.