Free Carl's Jr. Famous Star with Cheese: Promo Code TIMBERS825 (2026)

Want a charbroiled Carl's Jr. burger for the price of opening an app? A free-item code is circulating for the Famous Star with Cheese: enter TIMBERS825 in the Carl's Jr. app and one single Famous Star drops to $0. No purchase is required to claim the burger itself — you just need a free My Rewards account and the code applied before you order.

We went past the three-line promo blurb to pull out the parts that actually decide whether you eat free or walk away confused: the exact spot where the code lives inside the app, the one trap that makes most people think the code "doesn't work," how to stack it with the new-member freebie, and the regional limit that could silently kill the deal in your city. Here is everything before you tap.

Verification note (read this first): At publish time we could not find a permanent public announcement page for code TIMBERS825 on Carl's Jr.'s own site or in a press release. App-based promo codes like this are usually pushed through the app's Offers tab, email blasts, or local sports partnerships rather than a static URL. The Famous Star freebie mechanism is real and documented; the specific code should be confirmed in your app before you drive to the store. Self-check steps are in the Fine Print section.

Quick Summary

What Is the Carl's Jr. TIMBERS825 Free Burger

The Famous Star with Cheese is Carl's Jr.'s signature single burger: a charbroiled all-beef patty, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, white onions, dill pickles, and the brand's Special Sauce on a sesame seed bun. It is the smaller sibling of the double-patty Super Star, and it has been a menu staple since the chain's early days. At roughly 670 calories and 33 grams of protein, it is a full meal, not a slider.

The TIMBERS825 code is a free-item promo: apply it inside the Carl's Jr. app and one Famous Star with Cheese is covered at $0. The name strongly hints at a Portland Timbers tie-in (the MLS club Carl's Jr. has sponsored in West Coast markets), which usually means the code is tied to a local or game-window campaign rather than a permanent national offer. That matters for how long it lasts and where it works — covered below.

This is different from the standing new-member welcome offer, where Carl's Jr. gives you a choice of one free item (Western Bacon Cheeseburger, Famous Star, or Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich) after any $1+ purchase. The TIMBERS825 code is a separate, code-driven path to a free burger — and, as we show in the next section, a brand-new account can sometimes capture both.

See also our Dairy Queen free cheeseburger breakdown for another app-order freebie.

What's Free (and What It's Worth)

The code covers one single Famous Star with Cheese — the standard build, no upgrades. On Carl's Jr.'s menu that sandwich typically runs about $5 to $6 at most U.S. locations (pricing varies by market and franchise), so that is the real value you are banking. A family of four could each create an account and stack four separate redemptions for roughly $20–$24 in saved burgers.

Two things the code generally does not change: it does not cover combos, fries, or drinks, and it does not auto-upgrade you to a double Super Star. To keep it clean, redeem the code on a single Famous Star only. If you want a combo, build it separately and pay for the add-ons — mixing the free code with a combo often makes the offer fail to apply.

The bigger upside is the stack with the welcome freebie. A first-time My Rewards member who spends $1 on anything (say, a small drink) also unlocks a free welcome sandwich of their choice. Do it in the right order and a new member can walk out with two free burgers for about a buck — the TIMBERS825 Famous Star plus a welcome Western Bacon Cheeseburger or second Famous Star.

How to Claim: Redeem TIMBERS825 Step by Step

The code box is easy to miss because it is not on the checkout screen where most people look. Follow this exact order (steps reflect Carl's Jr.'s own app redemption flow):

1. Download the Carl's Jr. app (iOS or Android) and create a free My Rewards account. You cannot use the code as a guest.

2. Open the app and tap the Rewards (gift) icon in the bottom navigation or menu. This is where promo codes live — not the cart.

3. Tap "Add Promo Code" (sometimes labeled "Enter Code" inside Rewards). Type TIMBERS825 exactly, then confirm. The free Famous Star should appear as a loaded reward.

4. Browse to the Famous Star with Cheese and add one single sandwich to your cart. Do not build a combo yet.

5. Go to the Offers / Rewards section of your cart and select the TIMBERS825 reward so it applies to the item. The burger price should drop to $0.00.

6. Check out. If you are only claiming the free burger, you may not need to enter payment — confirm the total is $0 before paying.

7. (Optional) Trigger the welcome freebie: add any $1+ item, and the new-member free sandwich unlocks in Offers. Redeem it in the same or a follow-up order.

If the code throws an error or the price will not move, stop — do not just add a card and pay. That means the code is expired, your region is excluded, or it was mistyped (see pitfalls below).

Who Is Eligible

• Anyone with a free My Rewards account in the United States. Sign-up is free; no credit card is required to hold the account.

• Participants at U.S. Carl's Jr. locations that honor app promo codes. The code is "participating locations only," so a franchise that does not push app offers may not redeem it.

• Single Famous Star with Cheese only. Combos and premium builds are typically excluded.

• One reward per account/order. To feed a group, use separate accounts — the code is not tied to a single user, but each account generally gets one free burger.

There is no purchase requirement to claim the TIMBERS825 burger itself. The only spend enters the picture if you also want the new-member welcome item, which needs a $1+ order. Unlike some "free" food offers that hide a subscription, this code is a genuine $0 if it applies.

Important Fine Print

• Self-check the code before you go. Open the app, run steps 1–5 above, and confirm the Famous Star price hits $0.00. If it applies, you are set; if it errors, the promo has ended or your store is excluded. We could not verify a live public page for TIMBERS825 at publish time, so treat the in-app test as your source of truth.

• It lives in Rewards, not checkout. The single most common failure is typing the code into a nonexistent "promo box" at payment. Carl's Jr. loads promo codes through the Rewards icon → Add Promo Code, then you attach them in the cart's Offers tab. Look there first.

• Case and spacing matter. Copy-paste TIMBERS825 rather than typing it. An extra space or a wrong capital is the silent killer of these codes.

• The "TIMBERS" clue = regional risk. Codes named after a sports team (Portland Timbers) are frequently local or game-window campaigns. If you are outside the West Coast / Portland footprint, the code may simply not be loaded for your account — try a participating store's ZIP before assuming it is broken.

• Don't bundle it with a combo. Applying the code to a combo or a double usually makes it fail. Redeem a plain single Famous Star; buy upgrades separately.

• Supplies and windows close. "While supplies last" plus a likely sports-window limit means the code can stop working before any advertised date. Use it sooner rather than later.

FAQ

Is the TIMBERS825 Famous Star actually free, or is there a catch?

The burger itself is $0 once the code applies in the app — no purchase is required to claim it. The only spend appears if you also want Carl's Jr.'s separate new-member welcome item, which needs a $1+ order.

Why does the code not work when I type it at checkout?

Because there is no checkout promo box. Carl's Jr. loads codes through the Rewards icon → "Add Promo Code," then you attach the reward in your cart's Offers tab. Type it there, not on the payment screen.

Do I need to be a Rewards member?

Yes. The code requires a free My Rewards account, and the welcome freebie (if you want it) is a members-only offer. Guest checkout cannot use either path.

Can I get the free burger and the welcome freebie together?

Often, yes — but in the right order. New members can apply TIMBERS825 for a free Famous Star and, with any $1+ purchase, also unlock a free welcome sandwich (Western Bacon Cheeseburger, Famous Star, or Hand-Breaded Chicken). Two free items for about a dollar is the optimal play.

Is this available at Hardee's too?

No. Hardee's is Carl's Jr.'s sister brand in the South and does not run the same app promo codes. This code is for Carl's Jr. locations; check our Hardee's free biscuit offer for a separate deal.

What if TIMBERS825 is dead in my area?

Confirm in-app first, then try a participating store ZIP.

If it truly will not load, you still have the standing welcome freebie after a $1 order, plus app-exclusive deals like Burger King's free food week and McDonald's free Big Mac as alternatives.

Similar Deals Right Now

If TIMBERS825 does not work in your market, these free and cheap fast-food offers are live and verified:

• Dairy Queen free cheeseburger (Sept 14–18) — free original cheeseburger with any $1 app order.

• Burger King free food all week (Sept 14–20) — rotating free item days.

• McDonald's free Big Mac with $1 purchase — app-order freebie.

• KFC BOGO free Big Box combo — buy-one-get-one on boxes.

• September birthday freebies roundup — free food on your birthday month.

About Carl's Jr.

Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food chain founded in 1941, known for charbroiled burgers and a West Coast stronghold of more than 1,100 domestic restaurants. Its free My Rewards program is the engine behind most of its best offers: members earn 10 Stars per $1 spent and unlock free food at 150/300/500 Star tiers.

The program also surfaces app-exclusive deals like the daily APPy Hour (2–5 p.m., $1 drinks, $2 sides, $3 shakes). The Famous Star with Cheese has been a menu anchor for decades, making it a natural target for promo-code freebies like TIMBERS825.

Sources

• Carl's Jr. official site — menu, My Rewards program, and current app offers (carlsjr.com)

• LivingSocial — step-by-step Carl's Jr. promo code redemption and welcome freebie terms (livingsocial.com/coupons/carls-jr)

• EatDrinkDeals — Carl's Jr. My Rewards sign-up free item and app coupon list (eatdrinkdeals.com/carls-jr-coupons)

• Thirsty Bear — Carl's Jr. Famous Star nutrition (≈670 cal, 33g protein) and 2026 menu prices (thirstybear.com)

• EatPlea — Famous Star with Cheese build and ingredients confirmation (eatplea.com)

• Coupons.com — Carl's Jr. promo code mechanics and regional/limited-time behavior (coupons.com/coupon-codes/carls-jr)